Lions Ledger: Basketballs in Action Over Thanksgiving

Nov 22, 2021

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RECORDS: Saint Leo 2-2, 1-0 SSC | Flagler 4-1, 0-0 PBC | St. Edwards 2-2, 0-0 LSC
Saint Leo started out Sunshine State Conference play in the win column after taking care of Florida Tech, 63-53, on Saturday in Melbourne, Fla. Ayanna Trigg propelled the Lions averaging a double-double on the week with 16.5 points per game (ppg) and 14 rebounds per game (rpg) against Flagler and Florida Tech. Her work earned her the prestigious title of SSC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday.
On the season, A. Trigg averages just shy of a double-double with 11.3 ppg shooting a dangerous 73.9-percent and 9.5 rpg. Meanwhile, Amanda Ulrich leads the team's scoring with 15.5 ppg. The starting point guard has tallied 13 assists and six steals in four games. Joining A. Trigg and Ulrich in double digit scoring is Kiki McIntyre and Alex Button with 10.5 and 10 ppg, respectively. Tori Lesko has become a big asset to the Green and Gold play making abilities with 12 assists and eight steals. Lesko enters the week averaging 6.3 ppg and 6.3 rpg.
Flagler looks to defend its two-game win streak on Monday at Palm Beach Atlantic before turning around to host the Lions Wednesday. The Saints in St. Augustine, Fla. topped Saint Leo, 68-64, in the program's first meeting of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 17 in the Marion Bowman Activities Center. Flagler went on to sneak by Embry-Riddle in another tight battle, 63-62.
Leading the Saints scoring is Tori Pearce with 17.6 ppg shooting 51.4-percent from the field. She is helped by teammates N'Mya Pierce (14.0), Jaziana Mathis (12.6), and Taylor Gardner (12.2). Off the boards, Sadie Russell averages 8.8 rpg as the team's leading rebounder. Flagler has moved the ball for four Saints to have compiled double-digit assists. Pearce spearheads the efforts with 25 assists followed by Russel with 20, Gardner with 17, and Mathis with 14.
HISTORY: Wednesday marks the second meeting between the programs of the 2021-22 season. The rematch will give the Lions an opportunity to turn around a four-points loss and edge out the Saints on their home court. In the Bowman Center, A. Trigg led the Green and Gold's efforts with a double-double putting up a team-high 17 points going 7-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-6 from the charity stripe. Off the glass, she pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. McIntyre and Ulrich also added double-digit points with 15 and 14, respectively. For Flagler, Mathis handed in a game-high 21 points going 8-for-17 from the hardwood while earning a team-high seven rebounds.
St. Edward's is coming off two straight wins on its home court inside the Recreations and Athletics Center in Austin, Texas. The Hilltoppers defeated Huston-Tillotson, 74-59 on Tuesday and followed their first win of the season up with a 69-50 victory on Friday against Arlington Baptist.
Haley Blankinship leads the Hilltoppers scoring with 12.3 ppg followed by teammate, Taylor Cockerill, with 12 ppg. Crockerill is also the program's leading play maker with 16 assists. Although rebounds have been spread fairly evenly, Sammie Dufek holds a team-high average with 6.8 grabs per game.
HISTORY: Saturday will go down in history as the first women's basketball meeting between the Saint Leo Lions and the St. Edwards Hilltoppers.

RECORDS: Saint Leo 2-2 | St. Edward's 3-1 | Grand Valley State 2-0
Saint Leo enters the weekend holiday tournament with an even-.500 record at 2-2 after falling to Florida Tech 80-72 in the Sunshine State Conference opener. In the loss, Frank Webb Jr. paced the team in scoring with 21 points while he completed another double-double on the year with 11 rebounds. The senior guard added eight assists and four steals to his night. Grant Disken chipped in with 16 points while Jared Coomer and Wade Coomer each tallied 12 points for the Green and Gold.
On the season, Webb is leading the team in scoring with 56 points (14.0 per game), rebounding (39, 9.8 per game), assists (34), and steals (24) in 127:48 minutes of action.
Four other Lions average double-figures in scoring with Wade Coomer at 13.5 per game, Grant Disken at 13.3, Francis Sio at 11.5, and Luke Haasl at 11.0 while Jared Coomer is on the cusp at 9.3.
The Lions as a squad average 84.8 points per game while holding opponents to 75.0. The Green and Gold shoots .487-percent from the field including a .353 clip from beyond the arc and a .642 from the free throw line.
According to provided records, this will be the first meeting in program history for the Lions and Hilltoppers as well as the Lions and the Lakers.
St. Edward's travels to Florida after posting back-to-back wins over St. Francis to move to 3-1 on the season. The Hilltoppers' only loss on the young season came to no. 4 Colorado Mesa, 84-77, on Nov. 13.
Through four games, St. Edward's sees Daniel Venzant lead the way with 16.3 points per game (65) while Jake Krafka joins him as the only other double-digit average at 13.0.
The Hilltoppers average 80.0 points per game and hold opponents to 62.3. St. Edward's has a season shooting percentage of .478 from the field, .407 from downtown and a red-hot .783 from the free throw line.
Grand Valley State will head into the weekend tournament after a Tuesday evening matchup with Grace Christian. The Lakers are currently 2-0 on the young season which includes a 77-60 win over Indianapolis (UIndy) and an 80-71 win over Cedarville, which the Lions will meet later in the month of December. GVSU will open up play at the Terrace Hotel Classic Friday against the host, the Florida Southern Moccasins.
Jake Van Tubbergen is the team leader in scoring with 42 total points in two games, for an average of 21.0 per game. Isaac Gassman is second on the team in scoring with 20 points, 10.0 ppg. Van Tubbergen is the leader for the Lakers in rebounding as well with 23 total, 11.5 average, while he averages 29.0 minutes per game.
Through the two opening games, Grand Valley State averages 78.5 points per game and holds opponents to 65.5. The Lakers have a .569 shooting percentage from the field and have a .622 percentage from the free throw line.

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