Game Notes

Inside the Games:  The SC State women's basketball team returns to action this weekend with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games against Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday (4 p.m.) and Howard on Monday (5:30 p.m.). The Lady Bulldogs are coming off a 61-53 loss at Savannah State on Saturday and are now 13-10 overall and 6-6 in MEAC play. Senior guard Kourtney Williams leads the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game, while Jasmine Coleman is the team's top rebounder with 6.5 rebounds per game.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore (10-13, 7-6 MEAC) is on a three-game winning streak that includes wins over Norfolk State (60-50), Delaware State (96-59) and Howard (61-54). Jessica Long is the Lady Hawks' leading scorer with 13.8 points per game. Defensively, Alexis Udoji is the squad's best rebounder (8.7 rpg) and shot blocker (2.4 bpg).
 
Heading into Saturday's game at Savannah State, Howard is 3-22 overall and 3-9 in the MEAC after falling to Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday. Howard's three wins this season have all come against conference opponents; North Carolina Central (70-65), Coppin State (68-66) and Maryland Eastern Shore (92-90). Howard's top players are Sydni Johnson (11.9 ppg) and Victoria Gonzales (6.3 rpg). SC State and Howard last played each other during the 2012-13 season with the Lady Bulldogs winning 54-53 in Washington, D.C.


Game Promotions: Several exciting things are happening during this weekend's games. Saturday's game is Youth Day/Breast Cancer Awareness Day. There will be a pre-game cookout from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the grassy area between the S-H-M Memorial Center and the Hardeep Judge Tennis Center. The cookout, sponsored by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., is free and open to the public. There will be music, games and other activities for the youth in attendance. Ticket prices for Saturday are: $3 youth; $7 general admission; $10 reserved seating.
 
During both the women's and men's games, breast cancer survivors will be recognized. Additionally, during halftime of the men's game, MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas will present the 2014 MEAC Football Championship trophy to head coach Buddy Pough and the SC State Football team.
 
Monday is Greek Night/Military Appreciation Night. Greek-letter fraternities and sororities will participate in several in-game activities including a 4-on-4 basketball game (halftime of the women's game) and party hops/strolls (halftime of the men's game). Current and former military personnel will be recognized during both games and will be admitted to the game for $3 with a military ID.
 
All SC State faculty and staff will receive free admission to all four games with a valid SC State ID. 


Last Meeting vs. UMES (1-19-15): Junior guard Amber Howard scored a game-high 17 points, 11 in the second half, on 5-of-13 shooting (5-of-10 from 3-point range) as the South Carolina State women's basketball team defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 64-59 at the Hytche Athletic Center.
 
The game was close from beginning to end and had 12 ties and eight lead changes. SC State (10-7, 3-3 MEAC) struck first on a trey from Hoard twenty seconds into the game. UMES (6-9, 3-2 MEAC) answered on the other end with a bucket by Moengaroa Subritzky with 19:16 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets for the entire first half with no team leading by more than four points. The Lady Hawks took a 33-31 lead into halftime.
 
Howard's final 3-pointer of the game, a clutch bucket with 57 seconds left, gave the Lady Bulldogs the lead for good. They went 4-for-4 from the free throw line to seal the win. Subritzky started the first half hot, tallying 13 points, but the Lady Bulldog defense limited her to just three second-half points. She finished with a team-high 16 points. Jessica Long and Shauntesha Bryant each had 12 points.
 
Jasmine Coleman and Kourtney Williams each scored eight points for SC State. Coleman led the defense with eight rebounds and added one block.
 

Last Meeting vs. Howard (2-4-13): Junior forward Cherisha Floyd's offensive rebound and put back with one second remaining lifted SC State over Howard, 54-53, in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball matchup at Burr Gymnasium. With the win the Lady Bulldog improved to 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the MEAC.  It was also the first time since the 2009-10 season that SC State defeated Howard in women's basketball.

Senior Ashley Clarke scored a game-high 13 points with seven rebounds to lead the way for SC State. Senior Fannie Goodwin came off the bench to score nine points with seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Senior Tiara Knotts scored eight points while freshman Mykala Jones scored seven in the victory.

Howard had three players to score in double-figures led by Doyle with 13. Imani Bailey had 12 and Cheyenne Brown contributed 10 as the Lady Bison fell to 12-9 overall 6-3 in the MEAC.


MEAC Tournament Watch: The Lady Bulldogs are currently in seventh place in the MEAC standings. If the seedings were set today, they would play Florida A&M in the No. 7 vs. No. 10 game on Tuesday, March 10. Below are the matchups for this year's tournament.
 
2015 MEAC Women's Basketball Championship Schedule
Monday, March 9 - Opening Round
11:00 AM Game 1 - No. 4 vs. No. 13 1:30 PM
Game 2 - No. 5 vs. No. 12 4:00 PM
Game 3 - No. 6 vs. No. 11
 
Tuesday, March 10- Opening Round
12:00 PM Game 6 - No. 8 vs. No. 9
2:30 PM Game 7 - No. 7 vs. No. 10
 
Wednesday, March 11 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 10 - No. 1 vs. Winner of Game 6
2:30 PM Game 11 - No. 2 vs. Winner of Game 7
 
Thursday, March 12 - Quarterfinals
NOON Game 14 - No. 3 vs. Winner of Game 3 2:30 PM
Game 15 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
 
Friday, March 13 – Semifinals
NOON Game 18 - Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 15
2:30 PM Game 19 - Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 14

Saturday, March 14 - Championship Final (ESPNU- Tape Delayed)
30 Mins following Men's Game - Game 23 - Winner of Game 18 vs. Winner of Game 19