THE OPENING TIP
The Senators women's basketball team gears up for the stretch run of the regular season, returning home for their final two home games of the year, beginning Saturday afternoon against West Virginia State.
Jay Kilpatrick will be recognized pregame as part of Senior Day on the D&E campus, with tipoff coming at approximately 2:00 PM from the McDonnell Center.
Davis & Elkins dropped a 58-51 defensive slugfest against Charleston (W. Va.) last Wednesday, but still finds itself positioned tenth in the MEC standings. West Virginia State will complete a quick turnaround after notching a 79-53 triumph against West Virginia Wesleyan.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
- Game 24: Davis & Elkins vs West Virginia State
- When: Saturday, February 15 (2:00 PM)
- Where: McDonnell Center – Elkins, W.Va.
- Records: Davis & Elkins (6-17, 5-12 MEC); WV State (9-14, 7-10 MEC)
- Live Video: Click Here (MEC-TV – Play-by-play: Richard Davy)
- Live Stats: Click Here
- Twitter In-Game Updates: @Senator_WBB
AROUND THE LEAGUE
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MEC Composite Schedule: Click Here
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MEC Stats: Click Here
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MEC Standings: Click Here
SERIES HISTORY
- All-Time Series: WV State leads 3-2 (as of 2011)
- Last Meeting: January 8, 2020 – WV State 103, Davis & Elkins 101 | Recap | Box Score
- How It Happened: Trailing by around 20 points in the second half, Davis & Elkins did not go quietly in a 103-101 road loss to West Virginia State in women's basketball action on Wednesday night inside the Walker Convocation Center. D&E used an offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter to quickly whittle down a large deficit into a slim lead with just under five minutes remaining. Jessica Eadsforth-Yates canned the go-ahead bucket for the Senators, but Kilpatrick also found her touch from beyond the arc in the late surge.
JOHNSON CLIMBING UP D&E RECORD BOOKS WITH STELLAR CAMPAIGN
- Junior F Jamiyah Johnson has had a stellar season as a junior for the Senators, and her production has her name throughout the program's record book. Securing 10 or more rebounds in 15 straight contests, Johnson has set a new single season rebounding record with 345, previously passing Erin Smulski (1995-96) for most all-time.
- Johnson has grabbed 677 rebounds in her career, moving to seventh all-time, and passing Vickie Warehime (1983-86) and Gail Rasor (1998-2002).
- The junior forward leads the team in scoring average (18.6) and rebounding (15.0). She is second nationally in rebounding average, just behind Wheeling's Lily Ritz, and leads all of NCAA DII basketball in offensive rebounds/game (6.2). She is also seventh in the league in scoring.
- Johnson is tied for the nation lead with 20 double-doubles this season, securing at least 10 points and 10 rebounds in 15 consecutive contests.
- The junior racked up a career-high 35 points in an offensive shootout last time out against West Virginia State last January.
DAVIS & ELKINS NOTES
- Davis & Elkins has just two home games remaining, with Saturday serving as the final weekend home game for the Senators.
- Kilpatrick is expected to play in her 107th career game and make her 61st career start on Saturday. She averages 8.6 points/game and 3.5 rebounds/game as one of the team's primary guards.
- Kilpatrick posted 13 points to help anchor the D&E rally in the last meeting against WV State.
- Sydney Nestor is one of two players (Johnson) to have played and started in all 23 games this season. The sophomore has emerged as another potential double-double threat, averaging 10.4 points/game and 6.8 rebounds/game.
- Nestor is averaging 12.1 points/game over the last six outings, scoring in double figures in each game during that span.
- The Senators locked down Charleston defensively in each meeting this season, limiting the Golden Eagles to 65 and 58 points, respectively, well below the team's 78.1 scoring average.
- Kilpatrick (23), Johnson (22) and Nestor (20) all have 20 or more steals this season for the Senators.
- D&E leads the league and is 20th nationally with a +8.6 rebounding margin.
- Eadsforth-Yates leads the squad with 37 made three-pointers this season, but D&E ranks 10 of 12 MEC teams in three-point FG%, converting just 27.9% as a team.
SCOUTING WV STATE
- WVSU snapped a two-game slid with a 79-53 home win against WV Wesleyan. The Yellow Jackets are eighth in the MEC standings with a 7-10 overall mark.
- WV State boasts a high-scoring offensive attack, ranking fourth nationally and second in the MEC at 87.7 points/game. On the flip side, the Yellow Jackets surrender 92.8 points/game, the most in NCAA DII.
- Four players average double figures for the Yellow Jackets.
- Charity Sears is the team's leading scorer and ranks second in the nation with 86 made three-pointers this season, converting 40.4% of her shots from distance.
- Like D&E, West Virginia State is a strong offensive rebounding team, pulling down an average of 15.6 boards on the offensive end per game.