This Week
- UMHB makes a trip to the Pacific Northwest for the second straight season, after facing Willamette and Pacific in Forest Grove, Oregon in 2023-24. UMHB went 2-0 during that Nov. 17-18 trip.
- The Cru faces Whitman College (7-0), ranked No. 10 in Monday’s D3hoops.com Top 25, on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT in Walla Walla, Washington. It is the highest-ranked opponent UMHB has faced this season. It also marks the third meeting all-time between the programs, who most recently met in Belton during the 2019-20 season, with UMHB earning a 78-58 win.
- Friday sees UMHB make the drive to Spokane, Washington for another true road matchup against Whitworth University (3-2). That contest, which tips off at 8 p.m. CT, will also be the third time the two programs have met, and the first since 2016. UMHB is 1-1 against the Pirates.
- In program history, the Crusaders have played five of the eight teams in the Northwest Conference, going 4-3 all-time against the NWC.
Storylines
- UMHB is 6-1 overall this season, and heads to Washington with a three-game win streak, including home wins over Trinity (TX) and Texas Lutheran last week. The Cru is looking to win eight of its first nine games of the second year in a row under head coach Katie Novak-Lenoir.
- This week marks Novak-Lenoir’s first time facing Whitman and Whitworth as a head coach. She is 2-0 in her career against NWC teams, with last year’s wins for UMHB in Oregon in non-conference play.
- UMHB has established itself as one of the nation’s top rebounding teams so far, highlighted by a +33 rebounding margin in last Wednesday’s 80-65 win over Trinity (TX). The Crusaders’ 12.4 rebounding margin ranks 16th in Division III, and amongst Top 50 rebounding margin teams, UMHB’s 49.9 boards per game is the third-most.
- Speaking of rebounding, senior guard Jaycie Brisco is averaging a team-high 10.4 rebounds per game, with four double-digit rebound performances thus far. In just seven games this season, Brisco has already accounted for 48.6% of her total rebounds in 27 games in 203-24.
- Defense has been the key to The Cru’s 6-1 start, as UMHB limited its first seven opponents to just 53.6 points per game. That average ranks 49th in Division III, but even more notably, UMHB’s defensive efficiency (the number of points they would be expected to allow against an average offense in 100 possessions) is 15th in the country, per D3Datacast.com.
- Look for forward Adyson James to continue stepping up. The Nicholls State transfer is second on the team in minutes played (25.9), and averages 12.0 points per game along with 8.0 rebounds per contest. A sophomore, James earned the ASC’s Player of the Week honor on Monday after a 24-point, 11-rebound double-double in the Trinity win, along with seven points and 11 boards against TLU.
- Of the five players who have started at least four games for The Cru this season, three are newcomers to the program. James and Amillion Fowler, the only two who have appeared in the starting lineup in all seven contests, are both transfers, and Karlee Cronk is a true freshman. James is currently second on the team in scoring, Fowler has a team-best 3.0 assists/game, and Cronk is third in rebounding, at 5.3 RPG.
- UMHB will face two Top 10 opponents in the next six days, also hosting No. 2 Wartburg on Dec. 17 in Belton.
Scouting the Opposition
Whitman Blues (7-0)
- Whitman is one of the NWC’s most successful programs, especially as of late, with the Blues having made three consecutive NCAA Tournaments between 2020 and 2023. In addition, under current head coach Michelle Ferenz, Whitman reached the 2014 national championship game and played in the Elite Eight in both 2013 and 2017. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, despite a 20-6 record, Whitman is looking for a return trip to the postseason in 2024-25.
- The Blues have surged in the national polls early on, ranked 10th by D3hoops.com and 13th by the WBCA.
- Whitman is led by a veteran starting lineup, with all five starters being seniors. That includes forward Korin Baker, who averages 20.0 points per game, headlining the Blues’ scoring attack. A fifth-year senior, Baker has recorded several noteworthy performances already, including a 26-point effort against ETBU and 31 points in the win over La Verne.
- Also look for senior guard Carly Martin to be impactful in this one. She averages 15.3 PPG while also leading Whitman in assists, at 4.0/game.
- As far as rebounding goes, Lindsay Drango is the biggest matchup challenge for The Cru. A 6-1 senior, Drango has 7.1 RPG in 25.6 min/game this season. Her height advantage makes her at least two inches taller than all but one on UMHB’s roster (forward Josie Bruder is also 6-1).
- Thursday’s matchup marks Whitman’s first game in nearly two weeks, as the Blues last played on Nov. 30, defeating Cal Lutheran, 73-50, at the UC-Santa Cruz classic.
Whitworth Pirates (3-2)
- Whitworth heads into this season looking for its first year above .500 since 2019-20. The Pirates have opened with a solid 3-2 start, and their lone two losses came to Wheaton (IL) and Whittier by 10 points or less.
- It’s been three weeks since Whitworth stepped on the court for a game, with their last contest, a 67-57 loss to Whittier, coming on Nov. 24.
- Young talent has contributed for the Pirates early on, with freshmen Ashlyn Peterson (13.0 PPG) and Julianna Jeross (10.2 PPG) leading Whitworth in scoring through the first five games. Three of Whitworth’s five starters are freshmen or sophomores and the Pirates have just three juniors on the roster.
- Mya Bair is the lone returning starter for the Pirates from last year’s 9-16 team. The junior from Kettle Falls, Washington has put up 9.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG through the early part of this season.
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