March 14, 2013

Written by Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director 

2012-13 Information Guide

WASHINGTON, D.C. (www.howard-bison.com) – March 13 – It is that time of the year, when preseason predictions are put to the test, when regular-season meeting aren't considered foreshadowing and upsets happen after 40 minutes of play, it's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship time.

No. 3 Howard University embarks on its road to the championship on Thursday, March 15 at 12:00 p.m. against No. 6 Morgan State University at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

HU enters the contest with a record of 18-10 overall and 12-4 in the conference, with a final regular-season win on Saturday, March 2 against Delaware State.  During the senior night event, the mighty blue and white defeated DSU 65-39.

In the 26-point victory Doyle led the squad with a team-high 17 points, while Julee O'Neal scored a career-high 11 points and freshman Imani Bailey showed the upper classmen she was ready to fill the shoes they would leave behind with 11 points, on a 3-of-5 outing from three point range. Curley-Payne distributed 11 assists and gathered six steals.

Collectively, HU shot 71 percent from the charity stripe (10-14), 34 percent from the field (24-71) and 29 percent from three-point range (7-24).

Overall statistically, Howard averages 55.4 points per game, while shooting 35 percent from the field, 29 percent from three-point range and 65 percent from the free-throw line.

Season Highlights

• Saadia Doyle became the All-Time leading scorer in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and at Howard University on Feb. 18 against Bethune-Cookman

• Cheyenne Curley-Payne, who was named to the 2012-13 All-MEAC (3rd Team), is ranked No. 14^th in the country in assists (6.4) and No. 36 in steals 2.79

• Saadia Doyle notches 2245 points and 1144 rebounds

• Cheyenne Curley-Payne tallies 178 assists thus far on the season

• Howard boast the fifth strongest defense in the country

Lady Bison Bites

• Niki Reid Geckeler is in her fourth season as head coach

• Finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (2011-12)

• Saadia Doyle is now the all-time leading scorer in the MEAC and Howard

• This is the second meeting between HU and MSU

• Howard has defeated MEAC foes: Delaware State (54-40), Coppin State (67-54), Norfolk State (56-45), N.C. A&T (44-42), NCCU (56-30), Savannah State (53-41), UMES (59-30), Morgan State (68-33), FAMU (58-57), Bethune-Cookman (61-27), UMES (40-35) and Delaware State (65-39)

• HU defeated Morgan State 68-33 on Monday, Feb. 11 in Washington, D.C.

• Saadia Doyle tallied a team-best 21 points, while Kara Smith tallied 15 points and Cheyenne Curley-Payne finished 10 points

• Doyle also led in rebounds, by pulling down nine rebounds, as Curley-Payne led in assists (8) and steals (3)

• Howard shot 37 percent from the field (19-51), 36 percent from the three-point arch (5-14) and 76 percent from the charity stripe (25-33

Probable Starters

No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	MPG	PPG
5	Cheyenne Curley-Payne	5-8	Sr.	G	36.0	8.8
10	Jerrelle Gorham	5-8	R-Jr.	G	27.0	5.0
13	Saadia Doyle	5-10	Sr.	G	34.4	20.7
32	Nicole Deterville	6-0	Sr.	F	22.3	2.5
44	Kara Smith	6-0	Sr.	F	33.9	9.7

Primary Reserves

No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	MPG	PPG
24	Imani Bailey	5-9	Fr.	G	15.8	3.3
34	Portia Deterville	6-0	Sr.	F	8.4	0.2
22	Victoria Gonzalez	6-0	Fr.	F	10.1	2.4

 

Scouting Morgan State

• Donald Beasley is the head women's basketball coach at Morgan State

• The Lady Bears are 13-16 overall and 9-7 in the conference

• MSU is the No. 6 seed

• Morgan State opened the tournament with 56-49 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, March 11

• Biance Jarrett led the Lady Bears with 26 points, while Tracey Carrington tallied 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals

• MSU shot 29 percent from the field, 21 percent from the long range and 70 percent from the charity stripe

Seeing Double

Saadia Doyle's double-double performances:

• 21 points and 10 rebounds (DePaul)

• 12 points and 11 rebounds (Northwestern)

• 24 points and 10 rebounds (Delaware State)

• 25 points and 10 rebounds (Pepperdine)

• 26 points and 15 rebounds (Coppin State)

• 19 points and 13 rebounds (North Carolina A&T)

• 27 points and 10 rebounds (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

• 10 points and 10 rebounds (Hampton)

Consecutive Honors for Doyle

Saadia Doyle was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.  The honor was announced on Thursday, Nov. 1.

What Have You Heard about the Herd

Along with Doyle's accolades, the Lady Bison were predicted to finish first in the MEAC this 2012-13 season. 

Major News

Among 340 mid-major Division I institutions in the country, the Lady Bison ranked 12th above Richmond (Atlantic 10), Harvard (Ivy) and Central Michigan (Mid-American) on the preseason list. 

For more information on Lady Bison Basketball or for up-to-date scores and statistics, visit the official website of Howard Athletics at www.howard-bison.com. 

-HU-