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Jan. 15 W-Basketball Notebook
WBK Notebook

	Keena Mays, SMU

Jan. 16, 2013

IRVING, Texas - SMU (11-4) is the only 2-0 Conference USA team's that in action Thursday as the Mustangs travel to Southern Miss for a 7 p.m. game. Head Coach Rhonda Rompola has her team on a three-game winning streak and is one of only three teams undefeated in early league play.

C-USA Women's Basketball Notebook_Jan. 15

The Mustangs are led by junior transfer Keena Mays who averages a team-best 22.3 points per game, an average that will top the C-USA scoring chart once she meets the 75-percent of games played requirement. Senior guard Alisha Filmore also averages double figures, scoring 12.5 per game. SMU is fourth in the league in scoring offense, averaging 68.3 points, and leads the conference shooting 35.5 percent on 3-point attempts.

Southern Miss (9-6, 1-1 C-USA) is led by a trio of guards averaging more than 10 points each. Senior Tanecka Carey shoots 39.6 percent on 3-point attempts to lead the team with 16.5 points per game, followed closely by junior Jamierra Faulkner's 16.3 ppg. Freshman Jerontay Clemons adds 10.9 per game and is the team's leading rebounder with 7.1 boards per contest. As a squad, the Golden Eagles average 62.55 points, 39.4 rebounds, 13.1 assists, 10.8 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.

Marshall hits the road to take on Tulsa inside the Donald W. Reynolds Center. The Thundering Herd (6-9, 0-2 C-USA) is led by sophomore guard Shay Weaver was accounts for 10.7 ppg and averages a C-USA best 2.7 3-point field goals made per game and has made 41 three pointers. Freshman point guard Norrisha Victrum is the team leader in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting .429 (15-of-35). Marshall is averaging 56.1 ppg and 36.8 rpg.

Tulsa (5-10, 0-2 C-USA) features a dominant scorer in senior guard Taleya Mayberry who averages 19.5 ppg, which is second for scoring amongst C-USA players. Senior forward Tiffani Couisnard ranks third in the conference with a team-best 9.0 rpg and her 4.1 offensive boards top the chart. The Golden Hurricane nets 64.4 ppg and claims 40.5 rpg.

The East Carolina and Memphis as well as Tulane at Rice games feature teams that are 1-1 in league play.

ECU travels to Memphis for a 7 p.m. tip inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse. The Pirates (11-4, 1-1) are 7-3 in their last 10 games and have won three of their last four. Head coach Heather Macy's club is led by senior twin sisters Whitny and Britny Edwards. They average a respective 11.8 and 11.4 ppg. W. Edwards tops the team with 8.3 rpg, followed by B. Edwards' 6.5. As a team, East Carolina ranks among the NCAA's Top 10 in steals per game, pocketing 13.9 pg, and ninth in turnover margin, 7.2. The also appear among the Top 50 in scoring defense (30th/53.5), scoring margin (38th/13.1), field goal percentage defense (43rd/.350), assists per game (24th/16.6) and assist turnover ratio (46th/.980).

Memphis (10-6, 1-1 C-USA) is coming off a home victory over Southern Miss. The Tigers have won seven of their last 10 games and leads the league in scoring offense with an average of 72.9 points per game. The team also sports league-best .435 field goal accuracy. Senior forward Nicole Dickson tops the C-USA scoring list with a 19.9 ppg average and ranks 13th in rebounding with 6.8 rpg. The power forward appears fourth in the league in 3-pointers made per game, averaging 2.1.

Rice (9-6, 1-1 C-USA) wrapped up the month of December with a flawless 6-0 record and picked up its first C-USA win over Tulsa Sunday. The Owls will host its second consecutive game when Tulane travels to Houston Thursday. Rice is 7-1 inside Tudor Fieldhouse and has won six-consecutive home games, dating back to Dec. 1. The team's only home loss this season has come to current No. 1 Baylor. Rice is led by junior forward Jessica Kuster who is averaging the league's only double-double of 16.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. As a team, the Owls average 57.5 points, 45.93 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 15.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game.

Tulane (13-3, 1-1 C-USA) is led by sophomore forward Whitney Bibbins' 13.9 ppg, followed by sophomore guard Danielle Blagg's 10.5 and senior guard Olivia Grayson's 9.6 ppg. Defensively, Grayson and Tiffany Dale own a team-best 6.3 rpg, while Dale leads the league with 1.7 blocks per game. Point guard Jamie Kaplan is the league leader with a 1.9 assist/turnover ratio. The Green Wave leads the league in blocked shots (5.1), assists (18.3), free throw percentage (.701) and assist/turnover ratio (1.1). Tulane averages 68.4 points and 41.7 rebounds per game.

Houston, UAB, UCF and UTEP are idle for Thursday but return to action Sunday.

UPCOMING GAMES
THUR. , JANUARY 17
East Carolina at Memphis (C-USADN) 7 p.m.
Marshall at Tulsa (C-USADN) 7 p.m.
Tulane at Rice (C-USADN) 7 p.m.
SMU at Southern Miss (C-USADN) 7 p.m.

SUN., JANUARY 20
Houston at Marshall (C-USADN) 11 a.m.
Tulsa at East Carolina (C-USADN) 12 p.m.
Southern Miss at UCF (C-USADN) 1 p.m.
Memphis at Tulane (C-USADN) 2 p.m.
Rice at SMU (C-USADN) 2 p.m.
UAB at UTEP (FSN) 2 p.m.

All are C-USA games. All times Central.
C-USADN - C-USA Digital Network

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