COLUMBUS - Beginning a busy holiday week, the Columbus State University women's basketball team will host Tuskegee inside the Lumpkin Center on Tuesday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The Lady Cougars will see the floor for the first time since Saturday, Nov. 16 as they closed out the PBC/SIAC Challenge with a 96-49 victory over Fort Valley State. CSU also defeated Albany State in the classic 82-71.

"It's been a good, hard week of practice," said head coach Matt Houser.  "Three games in five days is going to be a test on our legs, but you have to be able to handle that if you want to be a championship-caliber team."

"Tuskegee has talent and we need to stay focused to grab the win tomorrow."

Columbus State will participate in the Valdosta State Thanksgiving Classic on Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30 in Valdosta, Ga. The Lady Cougars play Eckerd before closing out the tournament with a game against the Lady Blazers. 


 

CSU	Stats	TU
2-0	Record	3-3
89.0	PPG	70.2
60.0	Opp. PPG	66.3
46.3%	FG%	39.6%
29.3%	Opp. FG%	32.2%
55.5	Rebs/Game	48.7
20.5%	3PT FG%	28.4%
27.3%	Opp. 3PT FG%	21.9%
51.0%	FT%	56.6%
22.0	Assists/Game	13.0
15.0	Steals/Game	8.3
5.5	Blocks/Game	2.8

Game 3
Opponent: Tuskegee University 
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Site: Lumpkin Center (4,500), Columbus Ga.
Radio: NewsRadio 540 WDAK Scott Miller, play-by-play. Mike Sanda, color
Live Video Stream: Cougar Sports TV
All-time Series: CSU leads 12-4
Last Meeting: Dec. 5, 2015, in Tuskegee, Ala. (CSU 76-54)

Tuskegee will be looking to rebound following a 70-64 overtime loss at Young Harris over the weekend. Lena Yoonis had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. India Blakely added 17 and had five assists. 

Overall, Tuskegee is 3-3 this season with rebounding being its specialty. So far this season, the Golden Tigers hold a plus 8.4 rebounding margin averaging 48.7 per game. 

Blakely (12.0 PPG, 5.3 rebs/game, 4.2 assists/game) has been solid all season while Genesis Adams leads TU in rebounding averaging 7.0 boards per game. Adams also chips in 10.6 points per night.

Lady Cougar Notes

• Columbus State's defense was on full display in the PBC/SIAC Challenge. Over the opening weekend, CSU held it's opponents to a 29.3 percent shooting clip. That mark currently is the best in the PBC.

• In CSU's 96-49 victory over Fort Valley, the Lady Cougar defense had its best night since Dec. 21, 2016. The Wildcats shot just 22.9 percent from the floor, the best mark since Auburn Montgomery posted a 22.2 percent clip against the Lady Cougars.

• The Lady Cougars also made 11 3-pointers in the 47-point blowout win on Nov. 16. CSU didn't make 11 or more 3's in any game in all of 2018-19.

• LeeAysia Williamson is the only player in the PBC currently averaging over 20 points per game. The junior, who was named the PBC Player of the Week on Nov. 18, is averaging 21 points per game after posting her fifth and sixth 20-point performances in the PBC/SIAC Challenge.

• Overall, Williamson is shooting 46.7 percent (14-for-30) from the floor and 50 percent (5-for-10) from 3-point range. She is also averaging 6.0 rebounds and assists per game.

• Valeria Merlos (12.5 PPG), Chrisalyn Boston (10.5 PPG), and Taya Gibson (10.0 PPG) all average 10 or more points per game.

• Jurnee Smith (8.5 rebs/game) is currently second in the PBC in rebounding. Boston is tied for third grabbing 7.5 rebounds a night.

• The Lady Cougars have won the previous eight meetings against Tuskegee dating back to the 1994-95 season. In Columbus, CSU is 8-2.