The second half of the Heart schedule continues for Women's Basketball on Saturday at Noon as the Ravens host Park University inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium. Benedictine looks for the regular-season sweep over the Pirates while snapping their current losing streak.
Benedictine returns home for their second game of the season with Park University. The Ravens earned a 59-52 win over the Pirates in Parkville, Mo., in their first meeting back on Dec. 14. Today's game is the first road game for the Pirates since Jan. 11 while it also marks a return to the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium for the Ravens for the first time since Jan. 11.
Jennifer Jacobs is averaging 10.1 points this season in Heart play, just under her season average of 10.9. In 9 games inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium against NAIA opponents, that average improves to 12.3 percent with a 58 percent shooting average.
The Ravens enter the game with the Pirates at 7-1 inside the Ralph Nolan Gymnasium against Park since the 2007-08 season. In those 8 games, the Ravens are averaging 69.5 points per game - almost 3 points more per game than their current season average. The only home loss to the Pirates came on Jan. 3, 2011, 52-50.
Despite their record, the Pirates enter the game with the Ravens as the third-best 3-point defensive team in the Heart. In 18 games, the Pirates have limited their opponents to 26.8 percent from beyond the arc. In 13 conference games, that number has increased to 28.7 percent, with 77 of the 101 allowed 3-pointers coming in conference games.
The Pirates are 1 of 8 teams in the Heart with plus rebounding average. So far this season, Park is averaging 39.8 rebounds per game with a 37.5 per game average in Heart play. That translates to a 1.9 per game rebound advantage on their opponents in conference play.
At 37.7 rebounds per game, Benedictine also has a plus rebound margin this season. They enter today with a 4.3 rebound per game advantage overall. That number drops to 1.2 per game in Heart play.
Josie Weishaar is tied for fourth in the Heart in 3-pointers per game. Through 19 games, she is averaging 2.1 3-pointers and is tied with two others with that number. On the season, she is in a 4-way tie for third with 40 3-pointers.
Benedictine's 42.4 percent shooting average would rank this season at No. 8 on the program's list for team total field goal percentage.
Up Next: The Ravens return to the road on Wednesday, traveling to Fayette, Mo., for their return game with No. 2-ranked Central Methodist University at 5:30 p.m. They will return home on Jan. 28 to host MNU for Alumni Day at 2 p.m.
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