Sunday, January 12, 2014

Game Preview: Harper vs. Rock Valley

Women's Basketball: Cindia Salgado 2013-14
Harper plays host to Rock Valley on the campus of Judson University Saturday afternoon. (Jim Cummins)

ELGIN, Ill. – The Harper College women's basketball team fell in their N4C opener at Joliet Wednesday night, and they will face No. 1 Rock Valley on Saturday afternoon in Elgin.

The game is a home contest for the Hawks (2-10, 0-1 N4C), but it will be played at 1 PM on the campus of Judson University. The Golden Eagles (11-5, 1-0 N4C) beat Wright 115-27 in their conference opener Wednesday but lost to Illinois Central College, the third-ranked Div. II program, on Thursday night.

Last Meeting

Rock Valley topped Harper 87-29 on Feb. 6, 2013. Rachel Payne (Wheeling, Ill./Schaumburg Christian Academy)led all Harper scorers with 12 points.

Struggling to Score         

The Hawks are finding it difficult to score this season, averaging only 51.7 PPG as a team. Monica Hinderer (Arlington Heights, Ill./The Willows Academy) (21.2 PPG) and Rachel Payne (Wheeling, Ill./Schaumburg Christian Academy) (18.0 PPG) form a dynamic 1-2 punch for Harper.

Nation's Best

The Golden Eagles went 32-2 and won their final 27 games in the 2012-13 season to win the NJCAA Div. III National Championship. Rock Valley remains the nation's top Div. III program despite their 11-5 record. They've played tough competition at the Div. I and II levels, including powerhouses Kishwaukee College, Moberly Area Community College, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and Kankakee Community College

The Golden Eagles score 81.7 PPG, third in the nation, and are led by sophomores Marquiesha Grant (19.0 PPG), Shantiera Miller (13.5 PPG) and Aleesha Cleaver (10.1 PPG).

Live Updates

Follow the Hawks' Twitter account @HarperHawks for live in-game updates throughout the contest, or tune into the Harper College Hawks Facebook page for updates during the game.

No comments:

Post a Comment