SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - The Lawrence Technological (Mich.) University women's basketball team hosts Siena Heights (Mich.) University on Saturday, January 28 in the "WHITE OUT" game during the Blaine Denning Memorial Scholarship Fund weekend at Don Ridler Field House to cap off 2017 Winterfest. Opening tip is set for 5 p.m. All LTU fans are asked to wear their white LTU apparel to the game.
Lawrence Tech (12-10, 8-7) enter the game on a four game losing streak following a 59-54 loss to Aquinas (Mich.) College on Wednesday, January 25. Nicole Buckingham (SO/Saginaw, Mich.) leads the team in points per game at 16.5 while Allison Kitchen (SR/Clio, MI) averages a team best 6.5 rebounds per game and 2.1 steals per game. Cherilyn Banas (SO/Oxford, Mich.) tops the Blue Devils in assists per game at 3.3 and Maegan Branham (SR/Michigan Center, MI) averages 0.3 blocks per game.
The Blue Devils rank 19th in NAIA DII turnover margin (4.5), 21st in assist/turnover ratio (1.0), 25th in scoring defense per game (60.2), 28th in total rebound defense (34.7), and 30th in total steals (223).
Lawrence Tech and Siena Heights ranks fourth and third respectively in scoring defense per game with the Saints edging the Blue Devils allowing just 59.2 ppg compared to 60.2 ppg. Siena Heights and Lawrence Tech rank in the top five of the WHAC in offensive rebounds per game with the Saints averaging 14.9 while the Blue Devils average 13.0.
LTU's Kaitlyn Smith (FR/Holly, Mich.) ranks 23rd in NAIA DII three-point field goal percentage at 0.417 and ranks 48th in total three-point field goals made. Hayley Walkowski (JR/Marshall, MI) ranks 28th in assist/turnover ratio at 2.0 while Buckingham ranks 31st in total scoring (362), and 37th in free throw percentage (0.810) and points per game.
Siena Heights (17-6, 10-5) enters the second game of the season series on a six game winning streak and have won 16 of their last 18 games after starting the season 1-4. The Saints defeated the Blue Devils on December 10, 2016 in Adrian, 89-75 behind a season high 27 points from Jaaliyah Arrington.
SHU is led by April Watson who averages 18.7 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game, and 1.7 blocks per game. Watson ranks fifth in NAIA DII in total rebounds (232), seventh in total scoring (429) and total blocks (39), 10th in total rebounds per game (10.1), 11th in points per game, 14th in field goal percentage (0.575), 16th in defensive rebounds per game (6.5), 19th in blocks per game, and 20th in offensive rebounds per game (6.4).
Azalea Miller leads the team in assists per game (3.5) and ranks 35th in NAIA DII total assists (80) and 46th in assists per game. Sharmaine Willis leads SHU in steals per game at 1.4 and ranks 35th in NAIA DII total rebounds with 175.
As a team, Siena Heights ranks fifth in total rebound margin (9.8), seventh in field goal percentage defense (0.347), and eighth in total rebounds offense (994).
All proceeds from Saturday's game are going directly to the Blaine Denning Memorial Scholarship Fund that gives two students from two local high schools the opportunity to attend Lawrence Technological University. Blaine Denning was an integral part of Blue Devil history, being one of the first members of the Lawrence Tech Hall of Fame in the 2011 class. He was the leading scorer for Lawrence Institute of Technology - changed to Lawrence Technological University in 1989 - in 1950-51 and led the team to Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York as his team was the first team from Michigan to make the semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. His number 14 is retired and hangs in the rafters at Don Ridler Field House.
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