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WBB-FCS: Sacramento State Hornets (12-2) at Northern Colorado Bears (8-7)

NCAABB Editor
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SACRAMENTO — Off to the best start in school history and riding a six-game winning streak overall, the Sacramento State women’s basketball team puts it first-ever 3-0 start in Big Sky Conference play on the line in Greeley, Colo., on Thursday (Jan. 12) traveling to Northern Colorado for a 5 p.m. PT tip-off from the Bank of Colorado Arena.

GAME #15

WHAT: Sacramento State (12-2, 3-0 Big Sky) at Northern Colorado (8-7, 1-3 Big Sky)

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023

TIME: 5 p.m. PT

WHERE: Greeley, Colo.

VENUE: Bank of Colorado Arena

WATCH: ESPN+ (https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401473983?gameId=401473983)

LIVE STATS: UNCBears.com (https://uncbears.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary)

BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in Sacramento State athletics by following us on Facebook (/SacramentoStateAthletics), Twitter (@HornetSports), and Instagram (@sacstateathletics). You can also follow the Hornets’ women’s basketball program on all three platforms at the handle @SacStateWBB.

IN THE RANKINGS: For the second consecutive week, the Sacramento State women’s basketball stands among the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, entering this week’s games ranked No. 22 in the nation — up two spots from last week’s debut (https://collegeinsider.com/womens-mid-major-top-25). It is the highest ranking in that poll for the Hornets since they stood No. 22 on Feb. 11, 2014 — a season that saw them among the top 25 for eight consecutive weeks following an 8-1 start that year, reaching as high as No. 13 in early January. This season, Sacramento State has been listed for seven consecutive weeks, making its debut among those receiving votes on Dec. 1 and remaining there for five consecutive weeks until coming in at No. 24 on Jan. 3.

NATABOU ON MID-MAJOR AWARD WATCH LIST: One season after showing she’s one of the best in the West, junior post Isnelle Natabou is garnering national attention heading into the 2022-23 campaign, named as one of 25 players to the watch list for the 2023 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats on Oct. 19. The first Big Sky Conference student-athlete ever to be named to the list for this particular award, Natabou is joined by 24 of her peers on the initial watch list and is only one of four from the West Coast named to the list along with Gonzaga’s Brynna Maxwell, Portland’s Alex Fowler, and San Francisco’s Ioanna Kimili. For more details, read the complete release on HornetSports.com.

NATABOU NAMED TO BIG SKY’S PRESEASON TEAM: In addition to her national honor, Natabou was also named to the seven-member preseason all-conference team, joining Montana State’s Darian White (who was selected the MVP), Idaho’s Beyonce Bea, Montana’s Carmen Gfeller, Northern Colorado’s Hannah Simental, Montana State’s Kola Bad Bear, and Weber State’s Daryn Hickock. The native of the Czech Republic became only the third Hornet to earn preseason all-league honors in the process, joining former standouts Kennedy Nicholas (2019-20) and Brianna Burgos (2016-17).

BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE!: The accolades continued to roll in for Natabou, who was also named the Big Sky’s Preseason Player of the Year according to ESPN.com, which made its picks for all 32 Division I conferences on Oct. 25.

KAHLAIJAH DEAN… THE THIRD: Coming off a pair of lights-out performances in the scoring column, senior guard Kahlaijah Dean has been named the Big Sky Player of the Week for a third time this season on Jan. 10, averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game in wins over Idaho and Eastern Washington, shooting just over 51 percent from the field and 89 percents from the line in the two games. 

WHAT IS THE “JOUEUR DE LA SEMAINE?”: It’s the player of the week. That sounds good, we’ll have that. Thanks to Kahlaijah Dean’s award on Jan. 10, a Hornet has now been named Big Sky Player of the Week five times in the last eight weeks (Isnelle Natabou took home honors on Nov. 29 and Dec. 13, while Dean won twice on Nov. 22 and Dec. 27) — the most of any school in the league this season. The five awards matches the 2012-13 squad for the most in a single season since the Hornets joined the league in 1996-97.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO…: Dean becomes the first Hornet women’s basketball player to win Big Sky Player of the Week honors three times in the same season, while her three career awards makes her one of only 10 Sacramento State players to win multiple awards in a career. Her three honors trail only the four career awards claimed by Kylie Kuhns (2009-13), Alle Moreno (2010-14), Fantasia Hilliard (2011-15), Maranne Johnson (2014-18), and Natabou.

ABOUT THE BEARS: Northern Colorado enters the week with an 8-7 record overall and a 1-3 mark in Big Sky play… The Bears have lost their last three straight following road losses at Montana and Montana State last week, but are 6-1 at home this season… Junior guard Hannah Simental leads UNC in scoring at 16.2 ppg, shooting 44 percent from the floor and 45 percent from beyond the arc… Junior forward Delaynie Byrne is also in double figures, averaging 12.1 ppg and leading the Bears on the glass at 7.7 rpg.

SERIES NOTES: Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Sacramento State by a 21-11 count, but the Hornets swept the regular season series from the Bears last season with a 69-62 win at home and a 65-55 victory on the road… The two wins snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series for Sacramento State dating back to 2016… The Hornets are just 3-12 on the road against the Bears, losing five straight until last year’s win.

PUTTING THE “K” in 1K: A picture is worth 1,000 words, but senior guard Kaylin Randhawa is now worth a 1,000 points in her career following her performance in the win over Eastern Washington. The Turlock, Calif. native finished with 17 points (more on that later), pushing her past the 1,000-point plateau in her collegiate career, which included 524 points in three years at Pacific, 345 points last year at Utah State, and 135 points this season with the Hornets.

THE BEST AROUND: Nothing’s ever gonna keep them down. The Hornets are off to their best start in school history at 12-2 overall, breaking a deadlock with the 2013-14 squad that opened 11-1 before losing its next three consecutive games. Included in that start, three straight victories to start Big Sky Conference play — the first time since Sacramento State joined the league in 1996-97 that the Hornets have opened conference play with a 3-0 record.

NOT IF, BUT WIN: Sacramento State earned its 12th triumph of the season with its victory against Eastern Washington, moving to within two wins of last year’s 14-16 overall record. The Hornets have now posted double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since they went six straight years with 10-or-more victories from 2011-17.

OH, YES, THEY CALL IT A STREAK: Saturday’s win over Eastern Washington extended Sacramento State’s winning streak to six games overall, giving the Hornets two winning streaks of at least six games in the same season for the first time in the program’s Division I history. The last time Sacramento State had a pair of six-game winning streaks in the same year came in 1984-85, when it won 14 of its last 15 overall while posting runs of eight consecutive victories from Jan. 4-29 and six straight wins to end the year from Feb. 5-18.

STREAKY STATS: Over the course of their last six victories, the Hornets are averaging 69.1 ppg and 36.0 rpg, shooting .457 (144-for-315) from the floor. At the other end of the court, the Sacramento State defense has clamped down, allowing just 58.0 ppg and 26.7 rpg while holding opponents to .397 (125-for-315) shooting from the floor — including a .247 (20-for-81) clip from beyond the arc.

NINE TIMES? NIIIIINE TIMES.: Wake up and smell the coffee, Hornet fans, it’s already a record-setting season and we’re only halfway done. Sacramento State clinched its ninth non-conference victory of the season on Dec. 21 at Cal State Fullerton, breaking a tie with the 2013-14 squad (8-2 in non-conference games) for the most in the history of the program. Of the Hornets’ 11 non-conference opponents, seven finished with winning records and were a combined 64-50 (.561) in non-conference play. That kind of start bodes well for the Hornets, who won 18 games in 2013-14 — ranking tied for the third on the school’s single-season list.

HOME, SWEET HOME: Sacramento State’s win over Eastern Washington on Saturday improved the Hornets to 5-1 at The Nest this season, including wins in each of their last five contests. The five-game winning streak is its longest since the end of the 2014-15 season, which included a WNIT second-round victory over the Eagles as the fifth victory in that stretch.

ROAD WARRIORS: The win at Portland State on New Year’s Eve improved the Hornets to 7-1 in games played away from the friendly confines of The Nest and 5-1 in true road games this season. The five road wins are just two shy of last year’s total (7-7), which were the most since the 2015-16 team also won seven games away from home.

EIGHTY IS GREATY: The 82 points scored in the win over Eastern Washington was a season high, surpassing the 73 points scored in a victory over Santa Clara on Nov. 14. It was also the most by a Sacramento State squad since the Hornets posted an 82-76 win over the Eagles back on Jan. 28, 2021.

LET’S GO HALVSIES: Sacramento State blistered the nets in its win over EWU, shooting .521 from the floor — including a season-best single-quarter mark with a .778 clip in the third period. The overall shooting night marked the fourth time this season that the Hornets have shot better than 50 percent from the field in a game and the first since shooting .525 at Cal Poly earlier this year on Nov. 25 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…: And your deficits closer. Sacramento State has not trailed by more than four points at any point during its recent six-game winning streak — that deficit coming midway through the third quarter against Idaho on Jan. 5. The Hornets’ largest deficit this season has been 14 points against San Diego State on Dec. 7, while they overcame and 11-point gap against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 19 en route to a 70-68 overtime victory.

ONE IS THE LONLIEST NUMBER: But 60 is the winningest number for the Hornets. Thanks to its 82 points in the win Saturday, Sacramento State improved to 12-0 this season when scoring 60-or-more points and 5-0 when topping the 70-point plateau.

31 FLAVORS: Fresh off a 26-point explosion against Idaho on Thursday, senior Kahlaijah Dean did herself five better on Saturday against Eastern Washington, finishing with 31 points to eclipse her previous Sacramento State career high of 28 points against Cal State Fullerton in the non-conference finale. The 31 points fell just three shy of Dean’s collegiate career best of 34 points set at Central Michigan on Dec. 7 of last season while at Oakland University and marked her fourth career 30-point game — three of those with the Golden Grizzlies.

20-20-20-20-20-20 VISION: Dean’s 31 points on Saturday marked her sixth game with at least 20 points this year and were the most by a Hornet since Lianna Tillman finished with 35 at Idaho on Feb. 24 last season en route to Big Sky MVP honors.

THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE: Kahlaijah Dean was off doing Kahlaijah Dean things last week, notching her fifth and sixth 20-point performances of the year, draining double-digit baskets for the third and fourth times this season. The Bakersfield, Calif., native has now reached double figures in each of her last five games since being held to a season-low nine points against CSU Bakersfield, averaging 24.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 4.6 apg, while shooting 45 percent (39-for-87) from the floor and 88 percent (35-for-40) from the line during that stretch.

HERE’S A QUARTER: Of Dean’s 31 points against the Eagles, 10 of those came in the third quarter alone, marking the eighth time that the senior has posted double-digit points in a single quarter this season. Three of her eight double-digit quarters have come in the first period.

20 AND COUNTING: And the beat goes on. Natabou’s 13 points against Eastern Washington gave her double-digit points in her last 20 games dating back to last season, averaging 15.7 ppg (314 total) in that stretch while shooting .675 (137-for-203) from the field.

I DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLE DARE YOU: Keep on eye on your box scores. If Isnelle Natabou has a double-double, you may be in trouble. Thanks to her 13-point, 15-rebound (her second-highest total of the year) effort in the win over Eastern Washington, Natabou collected her sixth double-double in her last eight games and her eighth of the season overall — ranking No. 15 in the NCAA in that category as of Jan. 9. In her eight double-double performances this year, the native of the Czech Republic is averaging 16.9 ppg, 13.5 rpg, and shooting 56-for-80 (.700) from the floor.

THE DEAN OF SCORING: Dean brings with her a pedigree of knowing where the basket is, reaching the 1,000 career point milestone as only a junior at Oakland University and finishing her four years with the Golden Grizzlies with 1,425 points. Following her first 13 performances in the green and gold, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has brought her total up to 1,707 career points, ranking No. 25 among active scorers across the country as of Jan. 9 and posting a total that would rank third on Sacramento State’s all-time scoring list, passing Maranne Johnson’s 1,627 points from 2014-18 and trailing Heidi Carroll’s second-place total of 1,733 from 1982-86.

KAYLIN’S KILLING IT: Hitting double figures for the seventh time as a Hornet, senior Kaylin Randhawa came through in a big way to help the Hornets outlast Eastern Washington, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line to stand as one of four Sacramento State players in double figures. The 17 points tied her Hornet career high set in overtime against UC Santa Barbara back on Nov. 19, when she hit five three-pointers and hit six baskets overall.

BUTCHER BOMBS AWAY: Freshman Madison Butcher had the biggest game of her brief career in the green and gold against Eastern Washington, finishing with a career-high 11 points thanks to three, three-pointers and a pair of free throws. It was the second-career double-digit scoring game of Butcher’s career, eclipsing her 10 points against UTEP on Nov. 26. The trio of triples were a career high, while she finished with three field goals in a game for the fourth time this year.

THE PENEUETA IS MIGHTIER: One of four players in double figures against Idaho, sophomore Katie Peneueta collected her third double-double of the year in the process, adding a career-high 11 rebounds against the Vandals, while hitting a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor. However, her most impressive performance may have been at the defensive end, where she finished with a career-high seven blocks — six of those against the conference’s leading scorer Beyonce Bea. The seven blocks are tied for third on the school’s single-game list and were the most since Kennedy Nicholas had seven at Weber State on Feb. 20, 2019. The record is held by Heidi Carroll, who swatted 10 shots against San Francisco State on Feb. 21, 1983.

THREE IS MORE THAN TWO: Trust us… Peneueta has certainly done the math. In 35 career games with the Hornets, the Vancouver, Wash., native has made a living from long distance, sinking 92 of her 100 career field goals from behind the three-point line. At the media timeout of the second quarter on Nov. 22 against UC Davis, Peneueta’s previous 30 makes from the field had all been three-pointers until she posted up and found room inside for a lay-up at the four-minute mark of the period — her first two-point basket since scoring inside at Northern Arizona with 21 seconds left in a 76-62 victory on Feb. 3 last year.

1-2 PUNCH: Dean (20.1 ppg) and Natabou (16.6 ppg) are one of only two teammate tandems to rank among the top 10 in the Big Sky in scoring, joining Weber State’s Daryn Hickock (17.4 ppg) and Jadyn Matthews (13.3 ppg).

FOUR!: One of the most consistent and reliable shot-makers in the nation, Natabou entered this week’s contests ranked No. 4 in the NCAA in field goal percentage, shooting .660 on the season to trail only Liberty’s Mya Berkman (.705), Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes (.684), and Ohio State’s Taylor Thierry (.667). 

NO SLEEP TILL…: No rest for the weary for the Hornets as Natabou became the latest to go all 40 minutes in a game this season at Portland State — her third game this year playing all 40 minutes (or more) when you include the 43-minute performance in overtime against UC Santa Barbara and her 40 minutes against UTEP. It is the eighth time a Sacramento State player has played every minute, joining Benthe Versteeg’s 40-minute performance at Cal State Fullerton and Peneueta’s four games of 40 minutes or more (at Santa Clara, vs. UC Santa Barbara, vs. UTEP, at Cal State Fullerton).

MINUTE WOMEN: Speaking of minutes, there haven’t been many players in the Big Sky — let alone the entire country — who have seen more time on the court this year than the Hornets’ Natabou (36.1 mpg), Dean (35.9 mpg), and Peneueta (35.5). The trio ranks second, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the league in minutes and entered the week ranked among the top 40 in the nation at 17th, 27th, and 34th, respectively.

BOXING OUT AND CLOSING IN: Following a year in which she grabbed the fourth-most rebounds in a single Hornet season, Natabou has her sights set on both the school’s all-time and Division I top-10 lists for career rebounds during her second year in the green and gold. Entering the week with 475 boards, Natabou stands 95 shy of the all-time top-10 (Linda Simmons is 10th with 570 from 1977-81) and only 54 back of the Division I list (Emily Christensen is 10th with 529 from 2007-12).

BLOCKING IT OUT: Boasting the Big Sky Conference’s third-best scoring defense at 59.1 ppg allowed, the Hornets have also done work on the glass, holding opponents to a league-best 28.8 rebounds per game. The 21 rebounds by Idaho on Jan. 5 marked the fewest allowed by Sacramento State in its Division I history, while the 26 boards by EWU marked the 11th time in 14 games — and the sixth straight — that the Hornets have allowed fewer than 30 rebounds in a game this season.

PASSING THE CRASH TEST: Another double-digit rebounding perfomance for Isnelle Natabou is nothing new for the junior, who owns five of the top eight single-game rebounding performances in the Big Sky this season. Natabou enters the week ranked among the top 40 in the nation in three of the four major rebounding categories: offensive rebounds (10th), rebounds per game (17th), and total rebounds (31st).

ARE YOU BOARD?: Natabou clearly wasn’t in the Hornets’ opener against UC Irvine, as her 20 rebounds were the most since she had 22 against Idaho in an overtime win on Jan. 22 last year and was her third career game with 20-or-more. Nationally, the 20-rebound performance is tied for the 17th-highest in the NCAA for a single-game — and the most of any Big Sky player — as of Jan. 9, and stands as one of only thirty 20-rebound games in the NCAA entering the week.

WBB-FCS: Mercer Bears (5-10) at East Tennessee State Buccaneers (13-4)

NCAABB Editor
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JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – An exciting week of ETSU women’s basketball action begins on Thursday inside Brooks Gym, as the Buccaneers play host to the defending Southern Conference champion Mercer Bears at 7 p.m.

The first 250 fans to arrive at Brooks Gym will receive a free ETSU flag presented by Pepsi. Thursday’s presenting game sponsor is Food City.

This early SoCon challenge will be a prelude for ETSU’s marquee matchup with Samford on Saturday, which will be played inside Freedom Hall as part of a Saturday double-header with the ETSU men. Tip-off for the women on Saturday is at 1 p.m.

Fans can purchase single game tickets for Thursday and Saturday, or can bundle all remaining home games with the “SoCon Pack” starting at $21. Tickets can be purchased at ETSUBucs.com or by calling 423-439-3878.

MATCHUP INFO

Thursday, January 12, 2023 – East Tennessee State vs. Mercer

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Johnson City, Tenn.

Arena: Brooks Gym

Watch: ESPN+

TV Broadcasters: “Voice of the Bucs” Jay Sandos (Play-by-Play) and Bruce Tranbarger (Analyst)

Radio: WXSM-AM 640 | 104.9 NASH ICON   

Radio Broadcaster: Keith Brake (Play-by-Play)

Live Stats: StatBroadcast

Tickets: ETSUTickets.com

SoCon Pack: Click Here

Presenting Game Sponsor: Food City

Gameday Promotion: ETSU Flag Giveaway – First 250 Fans

ABOUT THE BUCS

  • ETSU enters with a 13-4 overall record following a record 13 non-conference victories.
  • The Southern Conference began sponsoring a women’s basketball championship in 1983-84. In that first season, ETSU had 11 non-conference wins, which marked the school record for non-conference wins for 39 years. ETSU broke that this season with 13.
  • For the third straight week, ETSU is ranked in the College insider Women’s Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. The Bucs fell three spots to No. 23 this week, but remain the only SoCon team in the rankings. Wofford is receiving votes.
  • Prior to this season, ETSU’s last ranking in the mid-major poll was in November of 2010.
  • Last Thursday, ETSU opened conference play with a 53-50 loss to Chattanooga. Trailing by double-digits, the Bucs strung together a 16-4 run in the fourth quarter to pull within a basket, but had a game-tying buzzer beater miss off the glass.
  • In Monday’s NCAA statistical update, the Bucs are ranked 11th in the country in scoring defense with 52.9 points allowed per game, 12th in offensive rebounding with 15.8 RPG and 26th in rebound margin at +9.1.
  • ETSU is the SoCon leader in scoring margin (+8.3), scoring defense (52.9), field goal percentage defense (35.4 percent), rebound margin (+9.1) and total wins (13).
  • ETSU is 13-0 when outrebounding the opponent and 0-4 when the opponent wins the rebound battle. The Bucs are also 12-1 when holding opponents to under 59 points, a 12-game streak that was snapped by Chattanooga last week.
  • ETSU has lost four games this season. After the first three losses, the Bucs went on to enjoy three separate streaks involving four or more wins. The most recent loss to Bowling Green brought about a five-game win streak with wins over Charleston Southern, UNC Asheville, Longwood, Mount St. Mary’s and Converse College.
  • Graduate guard Jiselle Thomas (Norwalk, Ohio) leads the Bucs with 14.5 points per game to rank sixth in the league. She scored her 1,000th career point in the season opener against No. 1 South Carolina. Her 88.0 percent shooting from the free throw line ranks second in the league.
  • Sophomore guard Nevaeh Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) is averaging 9.8 PPG and ranks fourth in the SoCon with a 1.66 assist-to-turnover ratio.
  • ETSU’s two-headed monster on the boards has been true freshman Journee McDaniel (New Bern, N.C.) and graduate Jayla Ruffus-Milner (North Hills, Calif.). Both are among the top 10 rebounders in the conference.
  • Ruffus-Milner is among the top 10 players nationally in offensive rebounding, averaging 4.2 offensive rebounds per game to rank eighth.
  • Milestone Watch: Sophomore Jakhyia Davis (Knoxville, Tenn.) is 17 points away from scoring her 500th career point and 16 rebounds away from her 400th career rebound — all in an ETSU uniform.
  • The Blue and Gold are led by Coach Brenda Mock Brown, who took over in August. Notorious for her turnaround at UNC Asheville, Coach Mock has already doubled last year’s win total for ETSU with a full conference schedule still to play.
  • Coach Mock’s 13-3 record tied legendary coach Dr. Janice Shelton for the best 16 game start to an ETSU coaching career in program history.
  • In Dr. Shelton’s first two seasons from 1968-1970, she went 6-2 the first season and 7-1 the second season. Ironically, Coach Mock had a similar two month stretch this year with a 6-2 record in November and a 7-1 record in December.
  • ETSU is 6-2 inside Brooks Gym and 7-2 away from Brooks Gym this season.
  • This season, ETSU will seek its first winning campaign and postseason appearance since 2018, where the team finished 20-13 overall, 11-3 in the SoCon and with an appearance in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). ETSU has made three NCAA tournament appearances all-time (2008, 2009, 2010) and four WNIT appearances (1995, 2006, 2014, 2018).

ABOUT THE BEARS

  • Mercer enters this week with a 5-10 overall record and a 1-1 record in league play.
  • Last time out, Mercer defeated Western Carolina 76-40 en route to a historic win last Saturday. With the victory, longtime coach Susie Gardner celebrated her 400th career win — including 224 wins at Mercer.
  • The Bears have played a tough schedule this season, ranking 48th in strength of schedule according to the current NCAA RPI/NET ratings. Wofford was the only other team in the Top 100, down 50 spots in 98th.
  • Mercer opened its season with a win over Middle Tennessee State, who is ranked No. 23 in the NET rankings and has since went on to a 12-2 record.
  • The Bears have just four wins in the last 14 games after that, including losses to four Power 5 schools and two losses to mid-major powerhouse Florida Gulf Coast, who’s ranked No. 3 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Poll.
  • In the month of January, Mercer owns a 1-2 record with losses to NCAA Division II opponent Anderson (SC) and UNCG and a win over Western Carolina.
  • Mercer leads the lead in accuracy at the charity stripe and from behind the arc with a 78.8 free throw percentage and a 36.8 three-point percentage.
  • Sophomore guard Erin Houpt is a big reason for the shooting success in both categories with a 97.9 free throw percentage (46-for-47) to rank second in the nation and a 42.7 three-point percentage (35-for-82) to rank atop the league and 40th in the nation.
  • The SoCon Preseason Player of the Year is Amoria Neal-Tysor, who leads Mercer with 15.6 PPG and has scored in double figures in each of the last 10 games. She had 32 points in the win over MTSU.
  • Graduate post Jaron Dougherty is another player to watch for Mercer with 9.3 PPG and 5.5 RPG. She also had 32 points for a season-high against Florida Gulf Coast.

SERIES HISTORY

  • Thursday marks the 45th all-time meeting with Mercer leading the series, 24-20.
  • The first meeting happened in 1980 — a 90-82 win for ETSU.
  • Mercer has won the last three meetings, but ETSU won the two prior to that.
  • ETSU’s last win over Mercer came on Feb. 22, 2020 in Brooks Gym — a dramatic 56-54 win on senior day.
  • ETSU is 10-11 against Mercer at home, 7-9 in Macon and 3-3 on neutral ground.
  • Only two of the all-time meetings went to overtime — both won by Mercer in 2006 and 2019.
  • ETSU’s 56-29 win over Mercer in 2006 set the all-time record for fewest points allowed and fewest points combined. Both records were broken this season in separate games, including 26 points allowed against Virginia Lynchburg and 75 combined points against Vanderbilt.
  • The last time ETSU scored 100 points in a game was against Mercer on Jan. 31, 2011. The Bucs went on to win 100-62.

WBB-FCS: Omaha Mavericks (8-7) at North Dakota Fighting Hawks (9-6)

NCAABB Editor
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Next Game: vs. Omaha
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team opens up the week at home against Omaha on Thursday, January 12 at 7 p.m.

Watch the Hawks
All UND women’s basketball games, home and away, can be heard on stations across the Home of Economy Fighting Hawks Radio Network, as well as through the iHeart Radio app, with longtime broadcaster Jack Michaels calling the action. Thursday’s game can be heard on 1440 AM.

Thursday’s game can be seen on Midco Sports or on ESPN+, with a subscription. 

Follow the Hawks
Receive live updates during all UND women’s basketball games by following @UNDwbasketball on Twitter. Fans can also follow the Fighting Hawks on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @UNDwbasketball as well as go to FightingHawks.com for up-to-the minute stories, stats and more.

Series History vs. the Mavericks
Thursday marks the 67th all-time meeting between North Dakota and Omaha, with UND holding a 55-11 advantage in the series. 

In the last eight matchups, the Fighting Hawks have won six of them, dropping only two at Omaha in the 2020-21 season. 

Last Time Out: At South Dakota State
The University of North Dakota women’s basketball team dropped its third straight game on Saturday afternoon, falling to South Dakota State, 105-72, from Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. 

The defeat marks the 12th straight loss to SDSU and is the first time UND has allowed 100-plus points since February 1st, 2019 at Western Illinois, as the Fighting Hawks entered the contest ranked second in the Summit League in scoring defense.

Home Sweet Home
UND has been dominant at home this season, improving to 7-0 inside the Betty to begin the season following the win over Western Illinois. 

The last time NoDak started 7-0 at home was 2013-14, when the green and white won its first seven contests at home before closing out a 15-1 season on its home floor. 

The Fighting Hawks have averaged 73.4 points per game and allowed just 53.6 points per contest in the seven games at home so far this season, including just 30 to UW-Superior. UND has not allowed a home opponent to score more than 66 points through seven contests and has won six of the seven games by double figures. 

NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 12, 2023

NHL Editor
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NHL Morning Skate – Jan. 12, 2023

* Connor McDavid welcomed the second half of the 2022-23 season with another highlight-reel goal and maintained his pace to become the NHL’s highest-scoring player since Mario Lemieux finished with 161 points in 1995-96.
 
* For the second straight season, the NHL saw a jump in the goals-per-game rate from the quarter mark (6.3 G/GP) to the halfway mark (6.4 G/GP). That is just the third time that has occurred in consecutive seasons since the start of the 1980s.


* Streaking clubs will clash at TD Garden when the Kraken and their six-game win streak square off with a Bruins team that has collected at least point in all 22 of their home games this season.



MORE McDAVID MAGIC MAINTAINS HIS 151-POINT PACE IN 2022-23. . .
The NHL leader in goals and points in 2022-23 Connor McDavid (35-44—79 in 43 GP) collected 1-1—2 to maintain his 151-point pace, including another highlight-reel goal for his 35th of the season. The Oilers captain can become the sixth different player in NHL history to record 150-plus points in a season and first since Mario Lemieux finished with 161 points in 1995-96 – about nine months before McDavid was born.
 


* McDavid leads a group of a dozen players on pace to score 100 or more points in 2022-23 – which would represent the highest NHL total in 27 years.

* McDavid (43 GP) required the fewest games among all active players to reach 35 goals in a season, besting Auston Matthews (45 GP in 2020-21) and David Pastrnak (45 GP in 2019-20) who both previously held the distinction. The last Oilers player to score his 35th goal in 43 or fewer games was Wayne Gretzky (35 GP in 1986-87).

. . . WHILE 20-GOAL SCORERS CONTINUE NHL’S FIRST-HALF TRENDS
Travis Konecny (24-22—46 in 36 GP) scored the 47th hat trick of the season, while John Tavares (20-22—42 in 42) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (20-30—50 in 43 GP) each netted their 20th goals of the season to become the NHL’s 24th and 25th players to reach the mark in 2022-23.


* The League’s 25 20-goal scorers at the halfway point of the campaign were the highest total through 653 games since 1995-96 (25).
 

* Philadelphia improved to 7-3-0 in its past 10 games and moved within seven points of Pittsburgh, which holds the second Wild Card spot. They are among a group of 13 clubs in the Eastern Conference that either occupy a postseason position or sit within seven points of one.


* Tavaresreached the 20-goal mark for the third time with the Maple Leafs and 13th time in his career overall. He became the sixth active player with as many 20-goal seasons joining Alex Ovechkin (18), Sidney Crosby (15), Patrick Kane (14), Patrice Bergeron (13) and Evgeni Malkin (13).

* Nugent-Hopkins joined Connor McDavid (35), Leon Draisaitl (23) and Zach Hyman (20) as Edmonton’s NHL-leading fourth 20-goal scorer in 2022-23 – the most by any club at that stage of a season (43 GP) since 1995-96 (PIT: Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Tomas Sandstrom, Ron Francis & Petr Nedved).


* Click here for everything you need to know about the first half of the 2022-23 campaign. All stats included are entering play on Wednesday (through 653 games played).


BYFIELD SCORES FIRST GOAL OF SEASON ON TNT NATIONAL BROADCAST
Quinton Byfield (1-1—2) netted his third career multi-point game and first tally of 2022-23 in a contest broadcast nationally in the United States. In 2020-21, Byfield skated for the Ontario Reign where he played alongside Akil Thomas and Devante Smith-Pelly in what is said to be the first all-Black line in professional hockey since Herb Carnegie, Ossie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre in the 1940s.


QUICK CLICKS

* #NHLStats: Live Updates – Jan. 11, 2022
* Sabres-Blue Jackets game rescheduled for April 14

* Brind’Amour, Montgomery, DeBoer, Cassidy named NHL All-Star Game coaches

* Mitchell Marner collects point in 18th straight home game, matches Maple Leafs record
* Peter Cech, soccer legend, gets in net against Blackhawks


STREAKING CLUBS SET TO CLASH AT TD GARDEN
The Kraken (24-12-4, 52 points), with six straight wins overall, will contest the sixth game of their seven-game road trip with a stop at 100 Legends Way to clash with the NHL-leading Bruins (32-4-4, 68 points) at TD Garden. Meanwhile, Boston enters the showdown and the second half of the 2022-23 campaign still without a regulation loss at home (19-0-3).
 



* Seattle, which can record six straight road victories for the second time this season, can become the seventh team in NHL history to win each of its first six or more games of a road trip. The last NHL team to win each of the first six games of a road trip was San Jose in 2015-16 (6 GP from Nov. 13-22, 2015); Seattle’s opponent Thursday has achieved that feat twice in their 98-season history (6 GP from Feb. 17-26, 1972 & Feb. 17 – March 1, 2011).


* Matty Beniers (16-18—34 in 40 GP) has found the back of the net in each of Seattle’s five games to begin their road trip en route to establishing the longest goal streak by a Kraken skater. The rookie scoring leader, with five more goals than the next closest skater, would join rare company should he score again versus the Bruins.



* The Bruins enter the second half of the season on pace for 139 points, which would set an NHL single-season record. The 1976-77 Canadiens (60-8-12, 132 points) hold the current benchmark and are one of two teams in League history with 130+ points in a season. Montreal held a 29-5-6 record (64 points) entering the League’s halfway mark in 1976-77 and posted a 31-3-6 mark over the second half to set the current record.

* Boston, with four straight victories, is also on pace to register an NHL-record 65 wins in 2022-23. The current benchmark of 62 was set by the 1995-96 Red Wings (62-13-7, 131 points) and matched just four seasons ago by the 2018-19 Lightning (62-16-4, 128 points).

POINT EYES MORE SUCCESS AT AMALIE ARENA
Brayden Point (23-17—40 in 39 GP) and the Lightning (25-13-1, 51 points) eye their ninth consecutive win at AMALIE Arena when the Canucks (17-20-3, 37 points) come to town. Part of Tampa Bay’s success on home ice as of late has come on the shoulders of Point, who has found the back of the net in each of his past nine games there dating to Dec. 6 (11-2—13 in 9 GP) – already the longest home goal streak in Lightning history.


PAIR OF STARS EYE 30TH GOALS OF 2022-23
Bo Horvat (29-16—45 in 40 GP) and Jason Robertson (29-29—58 in 42 GP) each sit within striking distance of joining the NHL’s 30-goal club in 2022-23 when the Canucks (17-20-3, 37 points) and Central Division-leading Stars (25-11-6, 56 points) take to the ice.

* Horvat is within one tally of his second career 30-goal campaign in as many seasons following a 31-21—52 (70 GP) performance in 2021-22. The Canucks captain can be the first player with consecutive 30-goal seasons for the franchise since Daniel Sedin (2 from 2010-11 – 2011-12) and can require the fewest games to hit the mark in season with the club since Markus Naslund (41 GP in 2002-03).

* Robertson is coming off a 41-goal campaign in 2021-22 and scored his 30th goal in his 49th contest of the season (March 12, 2022). While two of his current teammates have notched consecutive 30-goal campaigns with the Stars, Robertson can become the sixth active U.S.-born player with multiple such seasons at age 23 or younger following Auston Matthews (5x), Phil Kessel (3x), Kyle Connor (3x), Zach Parise (2x) and Alex DeBrincat (2x).

NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (26-14) at Miami Heat (27-20)

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NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks (26-14) at Miami Heat (27-20)

Given recent events, the Milwaukee Bucks will want to limit the Miami Heat’s trips to the foul line.

The Heat set an NBA record on Tuesday by going 40-for-40 on free throws in a 112-111 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

On Thursday, the Heat will host the Bucks, who won the NBA championship in 2021. The Heat will also host the Bucks on Saturday afternoon.

Miami is 10-11 on the road this season, and not much better at home (12-9).

It remains to be seen how healthy the Heat will be on Thursday. On Tuesday, Miami was missing four starters, including two — Bam Adebayo (wrist) and Tyler Herro (foot) — who have combined to average 42.6 points per game. Starting point guard Kyle Lowry, who leads the team with 5.6 assists per game, was out due to knee discomfort.

Spoelstra is hoping that all three players can return on Thursday. On Tuesday, though, Miami used just seven players after backup center Dewayne Dedmon’s temper tantrum resulted in an ejection.

Jimmy Butler, Miami’s ever-reliable star, rode to the rescue with a game-high 35 points, making all 23 of his free throws.

For the season, Butler leads Miami in scoring (22.1) and steals (2.2) while ranking second in assists (5.5) and rebounds (6.4).

Meanwhile, the Bucks started this season 9-0 but have been just about average over the past two months, going 18-14.

Part of the problem is Khris Middleton has missed 13 straight games due to a knee injury. There is no timetable for his return, although he participated in 5-on-5 drills on Tuesday.

A three-time All-Star, Middleton sat out last year’s playoff series against the Boston Celtics, and the Bucks got swept.

“We need this guy,” Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Middleton, who averaged over 20 points in each of the past three years.

Of course, what the Bucks need most of all is continued excellence from Antetokounmpo, who was voted the NBA’s MVP in 2019 and 2020. He was also the NBA Finals MVP in 2021.

Antetokounmpo ranks third in the league in scoring (31.0) and rebounds (11.9). He also sits second on the Bucks in assists (5.3), trailing only Jrue Holiday (7.1). Holiday is a two-time first-team All-NBA defender.

The Bucks are on a two-game winning streak, beating the New York Knicks, 111-107, on Monday and defeating the Atlanta Hawks, 114-105, on Wednesday.

Against New York, the Bucks rallied after trailing by 17 points with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Milwaukee’s Joe Ingles scored a season-high 17 points as the Bucks got hot against the Knicks.

Against the Hawks, Antetokounmpo was held to a season-low seven points on 3-for-10 shooting. He did, however, have game highs in rebounds (18) and assists (10).

Holiday (27 points) and Brook Lopez (20 points, 12 rebounds) took up Milwaukee’s scoring slack.

One negative for the Bucks on Wednesday was the ankle injury suffered by starting guard Grayson Allen, who played 13 minutes and missed the entire second half.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (30-12) at Brooklyn Nets (27-13)

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NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (30-12) at Brooklyn Nets (27-13)

Last season, the Brooklyn Nets struggled so extensively without Kevin Durant they endured an 11-game losing streak and won five times in a span of 21 games to tumble from atop the Eastern Conference into fighting for one of the play-in spots.

This time, the Nets believe they are better equipped to withstand a lengthy absence by Durant. They’ll get their first chance at validating their belief Thursday night when they host the Boston Celtics.

Durant will be out for at least two weeks with a sprained right knee after an MRI exam on Monday revealed an isolated sprain in his medial collateral ligament. Durant was injured in the third quarter when he collided with Miami’s Jimmy Butler before the Nets concluded a three-game road trip with a 102-101 victory on Sunday.

Last year, Durant was injured Jan. 15 in a home game with the New Orleans Pelicans when he collided with then-teammate Bruce Brown, resulting in a sprained MCL. This time, the Nets have a fully available Kyrie Irving, who last season could not play home games due to New York’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and they also do not have anyone on their way to requesting a trade as James Harden did last season. He was eventually dealt to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons.

The Nets head into their second meeting against the Celtics with 14 wins in their past 15 games. They enjoyed a 12-game winning streak before taking a nine-point loss at Chicago and ended the trip when Royce O’Neale converted a putback with 3.2 seconds remaining after Irving scored 29 points.

Brooklyn also is seeking a sixth straight home win and a 12th win in their past 13 home contests. The Nets’ one home loss in that span is a 103-92 loss to the Celtics on Dec. 4.

Since its last visit to Brooklyn, Boston is 11-7. The Celtics are also 8-2 in their past 10 games and scored at least 120 points for the sixth time in that span when they pulled away for a 125-114 home win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Jaylen Brown, who scored 34 in the last meeting with the Nets, led the Celtics with a season-high 41 against New Orleans. Jayson Tatum added 31 for his third straight 30-point showing, and it marked the 19th time the duo scored at least 30 in the same game.

Even though Thursday is the second night of a back-to-back, Brown and Tatum are expected to play. The Celtics were without Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III on Wednesday due to knee injuries, and both could be out again Thursday.

Houston Dash sign free agent midfielder Havana Solaun

NWSL Editor
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Houston Dash sign free agent midfielder Havana Solaun

NEED TO KNOW:   

  • Solaun spent the last two seasons with the North Carolina Courage 
  • The midfielder made 14 starts in 20 appearances during her two-year stint with North Carolina 
  • The Jamaican international has also played for the Washington Spirit, Seattle Regin and Norwegian side Kelpp IL 

HOUSTON – The Houston Dash have agreed to terms with free agent midfielder Havana Solaun through the 2024 season, the team announced today.  

“I am excited to welcome Havana to Houston,” Dash general manager Alex Singer said. “She is a dynamic midfielder who can operate box to box, is creative in small spaces, and breaks lines to create opportunities. Even more important, she is a true professional and her character will be an advantage to our group. We look forward to seeing what she does on both sides of the ball and having her join the group.”

Solaun joins the Dash after a two-year stint with the North Carolina Courage. The 29-year-old finished with 14 starts and 20 appearances for the Courage.  

Solan first joined the NWSL in 2015 when she was drafted No. 15 overall in the NWSL College Draft by the Seattle Reign, an injury sidelined her for the rest of the season. After her rookie season, Solaun was traded to the Washington Spirit where she became a key figure in the midfield. During her two seasons with the Spirit, she made 25 starts in 37 appearances and scored five goals. 

“I’m eager for the next stop in my soccer career to begin in Houston,” Solaun said. “I have always strived to further challenge my skill set both on and off the field. I am grateful that the Houston Dash will be a part of that challenge as we aim to win a championship.”  

In 2019, Solaun transferred to Klepp IL, who competes in Norway’s top women’s division. While with Klepp, Solaun made 19 starts in 20 appearances and scored 10 goals.  

Solaun represents Jamaica at the international level and made her debut in March 2019 in a friendly against Chile. The midfielder scored at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Her goal against Australia was the first for Jamica in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. 

With the addition of Solaun, Houston now has 22 players under contract. The current Houston Dash roster can be found listed below in alphabetical order and by position: 

Goalkeepers (3): Jane Campbell, Ella Dederick*, Devon Kerr 

Defenders (7): Julia Ashley, Allysha Chapman, Annika Creel*, Caprice Dydasco, Katie Naughton, Natalie Jacobs, Ally Prisock 

Midfielders (5): Emily Curran, Shea Groom, Sophie Schmidt, Havana Solaun, Marisa Viggiano 

Forwards (7): Michelle Alozie, Joelle Anderson, Ryan Gareis, Paulina Gramaglia, Nichelle Prince*, Ebony Salmon, Maria Sanchez 

* = denotes player will start on Season Ending Injury list until cleared to return to play. 

TRANSACTION: Houston Dash and free agent Havana Solaun agree to a two-year contract through the 2024 season. 

PLAYER PROFILE – HAVANA SOLAUN 

FULL NAME: Havana Marguerite Solaun 

PRONUNCIATION: SOL-on  

DATE OF BIRTH: February 23, 1993  

HEIGHT: 5-9 

BIRTHPLACE: Sha Tin, British Hong Kong 

HOMETOWN: Gainesville, Florida 

PREVIOUS CLUB: North Carolina Courage 

FIFA NATIONALITY: Jamaica

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (23-19) at Los Angeles Lakers (19-22)

NBA Editor
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NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (23-19) at Los Angeles Lakers (19-22)

After their recent surge was derailed by the Western Conference’s top team, the Los Angeles Lakers will look to regroup Thursday against another conference power in the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers saw their season-best five-game winning streak toppled Monday during a 122-109 defeat to the Denver Nuggets in a game where LeBron James was a mere observer with left ankle soreness.

As if that wasn’t enough, Los Angeles also was without Lonnie Walker IV (knee), Austin Reaves (hamstring) and Troy Brown Jr. (quad), while Patrick Beverley (hip) departed at halftime. Anthony Davis has been out since Dec. 18 with a stress injury to his right foot.

A brutally slow start and a myriad of injuries have come to define Darvin Ham’s first season as Lakers head coach, although a sense of resiliency has emerged.

After Davis went down in mid-December, with his absence initially ruled indefinite, the losses continued to mount. Then James delivered his post-Christmas challenge, saying that he is still capable of winning, while coaxing his teammates to follow his lead.

The Lakers’ five-game run of victories started there, with one of them even coming with James sitting out. They could not repeat the feat Monday and now wait to see if James and select others will be fit enough to face the Mavericks.

Mavs superstar Luka Doncic followed that same credo this week, when he sat out Sunday’s eventual 120-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with left ankle soreness. He returned Tuesday to score 43 points with 11 rebounds, but Dallas fell 113-101 to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Mavs have now lost three of their past four games following a seven-game winning streak, and have fallen to 0-2 to open a five-game road swing that will conclude with two games at Portland over the weekend.

Doncic made just three field goals in the first half against the Clippers before asserting himself after halftime with 31 points and nine rebounds. He made consecutive 3-pointers with just under three minutes remaining to keep the Mavs in the game before the Clippers pulled away.

The Mavs are still dealing with a rash of injuries, just like the Lakers. Dallas big man Dwight Powell (hip) left Tuesday’s game in the first half and did not return. Already out were Maxi Kleber (hamstring), Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor) and Josh Green (elbow).

NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-21)

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NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) at Portland Trail Blazers (19-21)

Donovan Mitchell is making the type of impact the Cleveland Cavaliers expected, and perhaps he is even exceeding projections.

The star guard has topped 40 points on five occasions this season and aims for another high-scoring effort when the Cavaliers visit the struggling Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

Mitchell reminded his former club — the Utah Jazz — of his scoring prowess on Tuesday, but Cleveland lost 116-114 in Mitchell’s first return to Salt Lake City as a visiting player after an offseason trade sent him to the Cavaliers.

Mitchell scored 46 points in the setback after receiving a huge ovation from Utah fans before the game and receiving a video tribute from the club.

The outing wasn’t even Mitchell’s best of the month.

The three-time All-Star set a Cavaliers record with a personal-best 71 points in a 145-134 overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 2.

Mitchell ranks seventh in the NBA in scoring at 29.3 points per game entering Wednesday. His impact on the Cavaliers has been so large that he appears to be a shoo-in for another All-Star Game appearance.

The interesting part of the Donovan All-Star buzz is the location of the game. Yes, the Jazz are the All-Star Game hosts.

Cleveland is 1-2 on a five-game road trip and may have veteran point guard Ricky Rubio on the court for the first time this season.

Rubio tore the ACL in his left knee 12 1/2 months ago and an availability decision is set to come after the club sees how the knee responds to Wednesday’s practice.

Rubio, in his 12th season, was a teammate of Mitchell for two seasons with the Jazz.

Mitchell scored 34 points when the Cavaliers posted a 114-96 home victory over Portland on Nov. 23. It was Cleveland’s third straight win over the Trail Blazers.

Portland is playing shaky of late with four straight losses to match a season worst and nine of 12 defeats overall.

The Trail Blazers on Tuesday began a stretch in which 10 of 11 games are at home and they never once led during a 109-106 loss to the Orlando Magic.

Still, Portland had a chance to force overtime but missed three 3-point attempts in the final 14 seconds. Star guard Damian Lillard didn’t get one of the attempts as the misses were by Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic and Anfernee Simons. he Trail Blazers finished 6 of 35 (17.1 percent) from long range.

Lillard, who scored 30 points against Orlando, also is perplexed about the slump but feels a turnaround is coming.

Lillard missed the earlier game with the Cavaliers due to a calf strain. He is 10th in the NBA in scoring (27.4).

NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (11-31) at Toronto Raptors (18-23)

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NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (11-31) at Toronto Raptors (18-23)

After making a season-best 20 3-pointers on Tuesday, the Toronto Raptors hope the hot shooting continues Thursday night as they go for a two-game sweep of the visiting Charlotte Hornets.

The 132-120 victory over Charlotte on Tuesday gave the Raptors two straight wins and a 2-2 record so far on a six-game homestand. They will be going for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

The 20-for-44 (45.5 percent) shooting from beyond the arc was encouraging for the Raptors, whose shooting has been inconsistent. They shot 45-for-91 (49.5 percent) from the field overall on Tuesday.

Reserve Precious Achiuwa made a season-best three 3-pointers and scored 13 points. Toronto had a 40-18 advantage in bench scoring.

Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 28 points that included two 3-pointers. Gary Trent Jr. had four 3-pointers and 24 points.

Terry Rozier scored 33 points for Charlotte and LaMelo Ball added 24 points and a season-best 14 assists.

Charlotte shot 15-for-35 (42.9 percent) from 3-point range and 47-for-86 (54.7 percent) from the field overall.

Toronto had the advantage in rebounding, 49-34 overall and 18-6 in offensive rebounds.

The Hornets hope to respond in the rematch on Thursday.

The Raptors are 18-23 at the halfway point of their season.

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