RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech University women's basketball team, which is off to a 5-1 start this season, returns to the court this Thursday (Dec. 14) afternoon following an 11-day absence as the Golden Suns square off against the Lane College Lady Dragons for the second time this 2017-18 season. A 1 p.m. start is slated for the non-conference matchup at LC's J F Lane Gymnasium in Jackson, Tenn.
SCOUTING THE ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS
Arkansas Tech (5-1, 3-1 Great American Conference) is coming off from an 80-45 league home triumph over Northwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 2 at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, Ark. Leading four Golden Suns in double-figure scoring was freshman guard Jayana Sanders with a game-high 22 points. Freshman guard Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse netted 12 points, junior guard Taylor Ely had 11, and junior forward Lyrik Williams contributed 10 points. Sophomore forward Ryann Goodsell totaled a game-leading 11 rebounds while freshman guard Jacie Higgins nabbed nine caroms.
This season, Tech currently has four players averaging double-digit points led by Jayana Sanders' 15.3 scoring average. Lyrik Williams (11.8 ppg.), Ke'Vonshaye Stackhouse (11.3 ppg.), and junior guard Kylie Ladd (10.2 ppg.) comprise the group, who have produced 58.9 percent (292-496) of the Golden Suns' scoring output to date this campaign. In rebounding, senior forward Cheyenne North (9.0 rpg.), Lyrik Williams (8.8 rpg.), and Ryann Goodsell (6.2 rpg.) lead the way.
Arkansas Tech, under 11th-year head coach Dave Wilbers, is presently ranked fifth with 34 points in the 2017-18 D2SIDA Women's Basketball Week 4 Media Central Region Poll (Dec. 11). The Golden Suns were selected to finish third in the 2017-18 GAC Preseason Poll after receiving 103 points and one first-place vote. A season ago, Tech registered a 22-8 overall record to go with a second-place 16-6 conference mark en route to making its third consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.
SCOUTING LANE COLLEGE LADY DRAGONS
Lane (1-9, 1-3 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) dropped its second straight contest following an 86-64 non-league road loss to Lee University (Tenn.) this Tuesday (Dec. 12) at LU's Paul Dana Walker Arena in Cleveland, Tenn. Junior guard Antrice McCoy paced three Lady Dragons in double-figure scoring with 27 points while junior guards Rickera Martin and Anissia May tossed in 11 points apiece. Junior guard Kristy Armwood pulled down a team-high five rebounds in the setback.
The Lady Dragons' lone win of this season was a 69-56 conference victory against Kentucky State on Dec. 2 in Frankfort, Ky., which snapped a season-opening seven-game losing streak.
Lane, under the direction of third-year head coach Kimberly Anderson, is 0-4 at home and 1-5 on the road this season. Junior forward LaKeiya Lane (12.3 ppg.), Antrice McCoy (11.1 ppg.), and Kristy Armwood (7.3 ppg.) are presently LC's top scoring leaders this season. Armwood (5.3 rpg.) along with junior forward Alisha Fortenberry (4.3 rpg.) lead the Lady Dragons in rebounding.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Arkansas Tech holds a 6-0 advantage over Lane in a series which began in the 2002-03 season. The Golden Suns posted an 86-49 season-opening home win against the Lady Dragons earlier this campaign (11/12) at Tucker Coliseum in Russellville, Ark. Tech is averaging 84.7 points per game while Lane is scoring at a 52.7 points per clip for a plus 32-points a contest differential in the series. The Golden Suns are 0-0 on the road and 6-0 at home versus Lane.
TECH NOTES
Tech's leading scorer Jayana Sanders is the Golden Suns' lone player to have tallied double-figure points in all six games this season following her season-high 22 points versus Northwestern Oklahoma State (12/2) … Ryann Goodsell compiled a career-high 11 rebounds against Northwestern Oklahoma State (12/2) which eclipsed her previous best eight caroms versus Lane in the 2017-18 season opener (11/12) … Jacie Higgins' nine rebounds against Northwestern Oklahoma State (12/2) is a personal season high, surpassing her eight boards at East Central (11/16) … Lyrik Williams, who scored both a game-high and season-best 26 points versus Southwestern Oklahoma State (11/30), is averaging 18.0 points a game (36 pts.) and shooting 58.3 percent (14-24) from the floor in her last two appearances to date … Tech has outrebounded its opponent in all six outings this season and has totaled at least 50 boards in a game three times this campaign, which includes a season-most 61 caroms at East Central (11/16) … The Golden Suns are averaging 81.0 points a contest in two away encounters this season while holding the opposition to 69.0 points a game for a plus 12 points per outing margin ... Kylie Ladd (15.0 ppg.), Cheyenne North (14.0 ppg), and Jayana Sanders (12.5 ppg.) are tops among five Tech players with double-figure scoring averages on the road …. Cheyenne North (14.0 rpg.) and Lyrik Williams (8.5 rpg.) have combined to account for 43.7 percent (45-103) of the Golden Suns' rebounds on the road this season … Jacie Higgins and Jayana Sanders are each averaging a team-high 14.0 points per outing in Tech's two non-league games this campaign. Both have presently scored 28 points apiece with Sanders making good on 85.7 percent (12-14) of her field goal attempts.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Golden Suns close out the 2017 calendar year Dec. 30 hosting the Lincoln (Mo.) Blue Tigers in a 1 p.m. non-conference game at Tech's Tucker Coliseum in Russellville. Tech resumes GAC play in early 2018 embarking on a three-game road swing, starting Jan. 4 versus Oklahoma Baptist in Shawnee, Okla.
COVERAGE
Live audio for this Thursday's game at Lane will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com. The contest can be heard live on 102.3-FM (KCJC) in Russellville with Paul Smith calling the action.
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