NEW YORK CITY–In one of America’s most iconic cities, the Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team is looking to keep its winning streak intact as Christmas approaches.
The Cru is set to face off against Berry and Millsaps in a pair of non-conference duels on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, in New York City, as UMHB carries a nine-game win streak into the week. The multi-team holiday event will be played at Baruch College, located in Manhattan, and marks UMHB’s first trip to New York City in program history. UMHB faces Berry College at 12 p.m. CT on Tuesday, before battling Millsaps at 12 p.m. CT on Wednesday.
This preview is presented by Faithfully Fit
The Series
UMHB has no past history against either Berry or Millsaps, with both programs hailing from the Southern Athletic Association (SAA). Interestingly, The Cru has faced five of the eight programs currently in the SAA, with a 9-1 overall record against Birmingham-Southern, Centre, Hendrix, Oglethorpe, and Rhodes.
Scouting the Berry College Vikings
Berry enters Tuesday’s matchup against UMHB having won three straight in victories over Oglethorpe, Covenant, and Agnes Scott. The Vikings are 5-4 overall, with two of their four losses coming by single digits. Additionally, Berry battled Division I opponent Georgia State extremely well for three quarters in a November exhibition, and led that game at halftime.
Led by a group of experienced contributors, with four players who started at least 12 games in 2022-23 back on the roster. Junior guard Kenadie Lee leads the Vikings with 16.3 points per game, and will make her 37th straight start for Berry on Tuesday, as the native of Sylvania, Alabama, started all 27 games last season. Sophomore forward Elly Callihan, who has recorded seven double-digit scoring performances this season, brings a competitive presence in the post for Berry, averaging 14.3 points and a team-high 5.3 rebounds per game. She also leads the team with 18 steals. Sarah Wright and Ellie Gearing are the two seniors in the lineup, and both average over 26 minutes per game.
As a team, Berry boasts a solid defense that allows 57.9 points per game and holds the second-best turnover margin in the SAA (4.33). Additionally, the Vikings’ 10.67 steals per game is the second-highest mark in the SAA, as Berry’s defensive pressure challenges opposing offenses well. While the Vikings have not played an incredibly tough schedule early in the season, Berry battled No. 12 Emory extremely tough on Nov. 19, and in that game, they tallied 13 steals. That is the most steals an opponent has recorded against Emory in nine games this season.
Scouting the Millsaps Majors
Like UMHB, Millsaps is off to a 9-1 start, having won nine straight games after losing to Huntingdon, 67-66, in the season-opener. The Majors play Williams College on Tuesday before facing The Cru on Wednesday, and head to New York City with plenty of momentum. They have two wins over both Centenary and MUW, and also hold wins over Belhaven, Austin College, St. Thomas (TX), UDallas, and Birmingham-Southern.
Junior guard Haley Franklin leads the way on offense, with 17.7 points per game, and shoots 52 percent from the field. Sophomore forward Elyse Franklin has been a spark off the bench for Millsaps, averaging 11.1 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game. Also, freshman guard Garin Freeman has come off the bench in all 10 games, with a team-high 31 assists. Millsaps starts four juniors and one senior, and the experience level within the core of the Majors’ rotation has served them well thus far.
Millsaps has one of the strongest defenses in the SAA, leading the league currently in opponent field goal percentage (29.5%), opponent 3-point percentage (22.6%), and blocked shots (4.10).
A Look at The Cru
UMHB is off to a 9-1 start, with nine consecutive wins dating back to a 64-48 win over Rhodes on Nov. 12. Under the direction of head coach Katie Novak-Lenoir, UMHB heads to NYC after a 2-0 week in West Texas that featured victories over Howard Payne and Sul Ross State.
A team that isn’t afraid to play with pace and has plenty of consistent scorers within its rotation, UMHB ranks second in the American Southwest Conference in points per game (78.0 PPG). The Cru also shoots 77.8 percent from the free throw line, the highest mark in the ASC, and is an outstanding rebounding team. UMHB’s 11.1 rebounding margin is the 18th-best in the nation, and the Crusaders’ 20.2 offensive rebounds per contest is the fourth-most in D-III.
Junior guard Arieona Rosborough leads the league in points per game (19.0 PPG), and has been terrific as of late, including in a career-high 28-point effort last Thursday at Howard Payne. Including Rosborough, six different Crusaders average at least 6.5 points per game, and that balance has made UMHB a difficult team for opponents to defend. Jaycie Brisco has been a force on the defensive end, with a team-best 25 steals this season, and overall, brings a key intensity on that end of the floor that helps in producing turnovers.
Follow the action
Tuesday and Wednesday’s games can be seen live on YouTube at Baruch Bearcats Broadcasting. Live stats are available at athletics.baruch.cuny.edu.
