RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – A pair of undefeated teams square off this Tuesday (Nov. 21) as the Arkansas Tech University women's basketball team (3-0 overall) entertains the Mississippi College Lady Choctaws (2-0 overall) in a 5:30 p.m. contest at Tech's Tucker Coliseum.  The non-conference outing represents the start of a Golden Suns' three-game home stand.   

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS

Arkansas Tech (3-0, 2-0 Great American Conference) is off to a productive start after winning conference contests against East Central and Southeastern Oklahoma State this past weekend (Nov. 16 and 18) in Oklahoma.  The Golden Suns were victorious in their conference opener for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons as a result of coming away with a league-opening 84-74 overtime victory over East Central last Thursday (Nov. 16) in Ada, Okla.  Six Tech players scored in double figures as  senior forward Cheyenne North's 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds paced the Golden Suns, who also received a double-double performance from junior forward Lyrik Williams (12 points and 11 rebounds).

The Golden Suns received double-figure scoring from four players en route to a 78-64 league victory versus Southeastern Oklahoma State this past Saturday (Nov. 18) in Durant, Okla.  Kylie Ladd paced Tech with 18 points while Cheyenne North pumped in 11 points to go with a game-best 13 rebounds.   

Cheyenne North, a 2016-17 All-GAC Honorable Mention selection, presently leads Tech in both scoring (13.7 ppg.) and rebounding (11.0 rpg.) this season.  Also averaging double-digit points are Kylie Ladd (12.7 ppg.), Jayana Sanders (12.3 ppg.), and Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse (12.3 ppg.).  The four have combined to account for 61.7 percent (153-248) of the Golden Suns' points output to date this season.

The Golden Suns, under 11th-year head coach Dave Wilbers, were tabbed third in the 2017-18 Great American Conference Preseason Poll with 103 points and received one first-place vote.  A season ago, Tech registered a 22-8 overall record with a second-place 16-6 GAC mark en route to making its third straight NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.

SCOUTING THE LADY CHOCTAWS

Mississippi College (2-0, 0-0 Gulf South Conference) won its second straight contest of this season with a last-second 80-79 victory against LeMoyne-Owen (Tenn.) this past Saturday (Nov. 18) at A.E. Wood Coliseum in Clinton, Miss.  Sophomore guard Zariah Matthews paced five Lady Choctaws in double-digit scoring with 19 points.  Sophomore forward Emery Wilson, a ULM transfer, had 15 points and a game-leading nine rebounds.  Sophomore forward Ieisha Lacey and junior guard Zan Ratcliffe, who made the game-winning basket with five seconds remaining, scored 13 points apiece while freshman center Lauran Sheriff added 12 in the home-opening win. 

Mississippi College, which is under the direction of 23-year head coach Paul Allen Duke, began this season with a 74-57 triumph at Southern-New Orleans last Tuesday (Nov. 14).  Earlier this season, the Lady Choctaws suffered a pair of exhibition road setbacks to Ole Miss, 66-35, (Nov. 2) and 96-34 to LSU (Nov. 5). 

The Lady Choctaws, who were chosen to finish ninth among the 14 conference teams in the 2017-18 GSC Preseason Poll, feature five players with current double-figure scoring averages.  Zariah Matthews is presently the Lady Choctaws' top scorer with a 15.0 points a game average.  Ieisha Lacey (14.0 ppg.) along with Emery Wilson (13.0 ppg.), Zan Ratcliffe (13.0 ppg.), and Lauran Sheriff (12.0 ppg.) are averaging double-digit points this season.  Wilson leads the squad in rebounding with a 10.5 boards a game average. 

MC finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 12-14 overall record and registered a ninth-place 9-13 GSC mark.              

ALL-TIME SERIES

Arkansas Tech has a 2-0 lead over Mississippi College in a series which started in the 1995-96 season.  The Golden Suns claimed a 68-52 road win in the first meeting (1/6/96) between the two teams and then notched an 85-73 home victory later in the season (2/25/96).          

TECH NOTES

Cheyenne North currently has five career double-doubles at Tech, which includes two this season - 17 points and 15 rebounds at East Central (11/16) and 11 points with 13 rebounds at Southeastern Oklahoma State (11/18) … The Golden Suns' bench has outscored the opposition 84-33 this season for a plus 51-points differential … Kylie Ladd's 18 points at Southeastern Oklahoma State (11/18) represents a personal career best, eclipsing her 13 points versus Oklahoma Baptist (2/4/17) … Cheyenne North's 15 rebounds at East Central was two shy of tying her career-high 17 caroms against Henderson State (1/19/17) … Freshman guard Jacie Higgins has connected on 12 of 13 free throws (92.3 percent) this season …. Tech's top rebounding leaders this season, Cheyenne North (33 rebs.) and Lyrik Williams (28 rebs.) have combined 38.4 percent (61-159) of the team's rebounding production … The Golden Suns' 31 free throws made (31-41) at East Central (11/16) were the most in a contest since the 2014-15 campaign (1/8/15) when Tech converted 31-of-37 attempts at Northwestern Oklahoma State … Kylie Ladd notched eight rebounds at East Central (11/16), which was one shy of equalling her career game-best nine boards vs. Harding a season ago (2/13).      

WHAT'S NEXT

The Golden Suns resume Great American Conference play with home contests versus Southwestern Oklahoma State on Thursday, Nov. 30, at 5:30 p.m. and Northwestern Oklahoma State Saturday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m.  Tech closes out 2017 with a non-league tilt at Lane College on Dec. 14 followed by a home non-conference matchup against Lincoln (Mo.) on Dec. 30.          

COVERAGE

Live audio, video and statistics for this Tuesday's (Nov. 21) game against Mississippi College will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com. The non-league contest can be heard live on 102.3-FM (KCJC) in Russellville as Sam Strasner provides the play-by-play.

-FIGHTON-