SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's basketball team looks to close their non-conference schedule on a high note before the holiday break, with LSC play looming in the not-too-distant future.

The Belles kick off this stretch of games with a pair of games against LSC opposition – St. Edward's and St. Mary's – on Saturday and Monday before closing against NAIA opponent Huston-Tillotson on Tuesday.

Saturday's game against the Hilltoppers will take place in Brownwood, Texas on the campus of Howard Payne while Monday and Tuesday's games will take place inside the Junell Center.

The Belles' offense averages 56 points per game, led by Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant's 9.8 points per game and Payton Brown's 9.5 points per game.

McGhee-Pleasant is grabbing 4.8 rebounds per game while Brown is second in the conference with 36.6 minutes played per game.

Madeline Stephens leads the team on the glass, grabbing six rebounds per game as well as scoring eight points per contest, and Blakely Gerber has come on recently for the Belles offensively, averaging 14.5 points per game over her last four games.

Additionally, Gerber is shooting 92.6 percent from the free throw line as she is responsible for 37.9 percent of all the team's made free throws this season (25 of 66).
 
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
St. Edward's is 5-2 overall on the season, having won their past five games. They are 1-2 this season against Division II opposition, losing to RMAC schools Regis and #23 Colorado School of Mines while beating Saint Leo in Florida on November 27^th.

The Hilltoppers have three players averaging double-digits scoring, led by Taylor Cockerill's 11.6 points per game. Lauren Catherman and Haley Blankinship are both averaging 10.7 points per game; additionally, five Hilltoppers are shooting above 50 percent from the floor. For the season, the Hilltoppers are shooting 45.1 percent from the floor as a team.

The Belles have never lost to the Hilltoppers, having gone 6-0 all-time against them, dating back to 2012; the Belles are 2-0 against the Hilltoppers in neutral-site games.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS
St. Mary's, along with the Belles, are two of three winless teams in the LSC so far this season. The Rattlers are 0-7 on the season. The Belles and the Rattlers have one common opponent this season in Southern Nazarene – with the Crimson Storm beating the Belles by nine points while they beat the Rattlers by 14 points.

Hannah Wilson is third in the LSC with 18.4 points per game. The fifth-year post player is averaging a double-double with 10.3 rebounds per game, having also recorded four double-doubles in seven games this season.

The Belles are 6-8 against the Rattlers dating back to 2006 but have a 4-1 record against St. Mary's inside the Junell Center.
 
SCOUTING THE LADY RAMS
Huston-Tillotson is 3-5 on the season, having also lost exhibition games against Division I Texas State and Prairie View A&M, as well as a 15-point loss against St. Edward's back on November 16^th.

The Lady Rams have two players averaging double-digits points in Ilana Sanford and Mycah McDonald, who ae averaging 12 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Opponents are shooting 47.2 percent against the Lady Rams this season.