SAN ANGELO – After playing their first four games of the season on the road, the Belles will be thankful this weekend to play a pair of games in front of their home fans when they host the ASU Thanksgiving Classic inside the Junell Center.
Despite an 0-4 record, the Belles have only allowed 58.3 points per game, fourth best in the LSC this season. The Belles' have also forced 21.5 turnovers per game and are averaging 10.5 steal per game, both of which are fourth in the conference.
The Belles offense has been led this season by
Payton Brown and
Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant. Brown is averaging 10 points per game while McGhee-Pleasant is averaging 9.8 per game. Brown also leads the team in minutes played, having played 148 out of a possible 160 minutes this season.
Madeline Stephens is averaging eight points per game while grabbing a team-high 7.3 rebounds per contest, and defensively, Brown and
Madisen Honea lead the team with 1.5 steals per game while McGhee-Pleasant and
Samantha Rocha have blocked three shots each.
SCOUTING THE LADY BISONS
The Belles will take on Harding to open the weekend, with the game tipping off on Friday at noon. Harding is currently 2-1 on the season and went 7-8 last spring, making the GAC Tournament quarterfinals. The Lady Bisons offense has four players in double-digits, led by Sage Hawley's 19 points per game and Jacie Evans 17 points per game.
As a team, Harding shoots 48.7 percent from the field while opponents have shot 45.8 percent against them this season. They, on average, grab two more rebounds per game than their opposition.
These two teams have met twice previously, with the series split 1-1. They last met in 2019 in Searcy, Arkansas, where Harding took an 89-67 victory over the Belles.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
The Belles close their weekend against Arkansas Tech, with the game scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Arkansas Tech is 2-0 on the season with a pair of home wins this season. A season ago, they went 14-2 overall and made it to the GAC semifinals, as well as qualifying for the NCAA Tournament as the four-seed in the South Central Region; they did not get to compete in the tournament due to COVID-19.
The Golden Suns have five players that average over ten points per game, led by Ashlei Lopez's 21.5 points per game. In her lone game this season, forward Sydnee Wynn scored 14 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Suns in their victory over Champion Christian.
The Belles won the lone meeting between these two teams back in 2019, a 92-20 win in Russellville, Arkansas.
After this weekend, the Belles continue non-conference play on the road against Texas A&M International and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
