COLUMBUS - No. 24-ranked Columbus State University Women's Basketball hits the road to open the 2024-25 campaign at the Jersey Mike's Regional Challenge hosted by Tusculum (Tenn.) in Greeneville, Tenn.
The Lady Cougars are set to begin the regular season with Catawba (N.C.) on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET and will follow up with a match against the hosts on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.
Preseason Predictions and Preparations
Columbus State was selected as the favorites to secure the Peach Belt Conference title this season and were ranked No. 24 in the WBCA Division II Preseason Coaches' Poll. CSU is poised for a stellar season after prepping with a scrimmage at Auburn-Montgomery (Ala.) and an exhibition at NCAA Division I opponent and preseason No. 24 Alabama.
The Lady Cougars had a great showing in Coleman Coliseum on Oct. 30 and were praised by the Crimson Tide's head coach for what they brought to the match up. Her postgame comments highlighted the experienced leadership from the returners on the roster and how Coach
Matt Houser's defensive philosophy can cause chaos for opposing teams.
CSU had three players in double figures versus the Crimson Tide with
Kristyn Goshay leading the way with 14 points. Bre'Lyn Snipes gathered 11 and
Zuzanna Rudenko scored 10. The Lady Cougars finished shooting 32.7% (19-of-58) from the field, 38.8% (7-of-18) from three, and 70.8% (17-of-24) from the charity stripe.
Columbus State's defense produced nine steals and four blocks as well as 23 defensive boards.
Letiya Reeves,
Aaliyah Ferrell, and
Simone Lett all gathered a pair of steals each while Snipes led with seven of her eight rebounds on the defensive end of the floor.
Scouting Catawba & Tusculum
Catawba appeared in the receiving votes section of the WBCA Preseason Coaches' Poll and closed out last season ranked No. 20 in the poll. The Indians were selected to finish fifth in the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Poll. Catawba finished the 2023-24 season with a 24-6 record and made the NCAA Southeast Regional Semifinals.
Nala Baker, Jada Porter, and Mary Spry will be the ones to watch for the Indians as they were selected as SAC Players to Watch. Baker was fourth last season in scoring and is the leading returning scorer this season as Catawba graduated the top three scorers from a season ago. Catawba holds a 2-0 record over CSU all-time.
As for the Pioneers of Tusculum, they tip-off the season at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday versus Lees-McRae (N.C.) and will host the Lady Cougars on Sunday afternoon. Tusculum returns four starters from last season and will be led by Abbi Douglas, Jenna Kallenberg, and Ni'Kiah Chesterfield. Columbus State leads 2-1 all-time over the Pioneers.
Follow Along and Support
Columbus State will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night and will follow with a 4 p.m. ET matchup on Sunday afternoon.
Live stats and
live video are available for both games. All tournament information can be
found here as well.
