ROLLA, Mo. – After closing the book on GLVC action in the 2021 calendar year over the weekend, the Missouri S&T women's basketball team will be back in action for a pair of contests this week against two very different opponents. First, S&T will hit the road Wednesday for a midseason exhibition game against Division I opponent Tulsa Wednesday night before returning to Gibson Arena Saturday afternoon for a contest against William Woods from the NAIA ranks.
 
The Miners (2-5, 1-2) dropped a 77-59 decision to SBU on the road Saturday after knocking off William Jewell 74-62 Thursday night. Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) has scored in double-figures in five-straight games and averaged 17.0 PPG over three games last week and is averaging 15.3 PPG for the season and is shooting .409 from the floor and .355 from three. Freshman Katelynne Roberts (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) has continued her strong play, scoring in double-digits in three of the last four games and narrowly missing double-doubles in each of the last three games, averaging 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest for the season while also recording 22 blocked shots, which is tops in the GLVC by a considerable margin and tied for fourth nationally. Eryn Puett (Columbia, MO/Rock Bridge) has been a proven option off the bench, averaging 9.1 PPG and 4.0 RPG and shooting at a .500 clip this season. Marta Durk (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) and Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) are both in double-figure steals through seven games, with Durk posting a team-best 16 and Keys checking in with 10.
 
The Golden Hurricane (6-0) not played a game since November 27 when they competed in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament, as their December 1 contest against Bradley was canceled. Three players are averaging double-figures per night for Tulsa, led by Maya Mayberry's 17.7 PPG. Temira Poindexter and Wyvette Mayberry follow with 12.3 and 10.7 PPG and also lead the team in rebounding with 4.5 and 4.7 RPG respectively. Poindexter is the team's leader in shooting percentage at .528 while Mayberry has been devastating from beyond the arc, connecting on 21 shots for a .512 percentage. Five players are in double-figure assists for Tulsa, with Rebecca Lescay's 21 leading the way while Mayberry, Delanie Crawford and Maddie Bittle all have 16 apiece. Bittle also leads the way when it comes to steals, with 14 through six games.
 
The Owls (3-8, 0-2), who will be playing the game in Rolla as an exhibition, have dropped three-straight, including their first two conference contests, following an overtime win on November 27. Natalie Thomas is the leading scorer for WWU with 11.6 PPG while Sydney Booker is averaging pulling down 11.2 PPG and leads the club with 7.2 RPG. Kasey Hazell's .493 shooting percentage from the floor is the high-water mark and is averaging 7.5 point and 6.7 rebounds per game and her 12 steals lead the team as the only player with double-digit steals on the season. Katie Keiholz is shooting .458 from three-point land and has 22 makes on the season, with both marks leading the team. Jheda Kennedy has been the main distributor for the Owls, leading the team in assists by a wide margin with 27.
 
Wednesday's game in Tulsa will be the first ever meeting between the Miners and Golden Hurricanes on the hardwood, while on Saturday, the Miners will take the court against the Owls for the first time since 1997. WWU leads the all-time series 10-7, but S&T has won the last three meetings, the last time by a score of 90-55.