December 3, 2012

Written by Ariel V. Germain, Assistant Sports Information Director

Game Notes: Howard at Delaware State

WASHINGTON, D.C. (www.howard-bison.com) – After a successful three-game homestand, the Howard University women's basketball team hits a four-game road stint and opens Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action with Delaware State on Monday, Dec. 3 in Dover, Del., at 5:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall.

HU is currently 3-4 overall, 3-0 at home and 0-4 on the road, while DSU is 2-3 on the season.

The Lady Bison hit the road after a 40-37 win over Loyola (Md.) on the Howard University campus.

In the three-point win, redshirt junior Jerrelle Gorham tallied a season-best 12 points, as senior Nicole Deterville pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds.  Senior leading scorer Saadia Doyle scored a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds, while seniors Cheyenne Curley-Payne distributed seven assists, N. Deterville notched two blocks and Kara Smith stole two Loyola possessions.

Collectively, the Lady Bison finished at 30 percent from the charity stripe, 39 percent from the field and 39 percent from long range.

Lady Bison Bites

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

• Finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

• Fell 59-56 OT to Virginia during the WNIT in 2012

• This is the first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference meeting of the season

• HU defeated Delaware State during both meeting last season; 59-49 (Dec. 5, 2011) and 67-52 (Feb. 25, 2012)

• HU ventures to the nation's first state after a three-game home win streak, including a recent 40-37 win over Loyola (Md.)

• Jerrelle Gorham tallied a season-best 12 points, as Nicole Deterville pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds

• Saadia Doyle scored a team-high 14 points and nine rebounds, while Cheyenne Curley-Payne distributed seven assists, N. Deterville notched two blocks and Kara Smith stole two Loyola possessions

• On the season, the Lady Bison average 56.4 points per game, 35 percent from the field, 30 percent from the long range, and 59 percent from the free-throw line

Probable Starters

No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	MPG	PPG
5	Cheyenne Curley-Payne	5-8	Sr.	G	36.0	10.0
10	Jerrelle Gorham	5-8	R-Jr.	G	30.9	6.9
13	Saadia Doyle	5-10	Sr.	G	35.0	22.7
32	Nicole Deterville	6-0	Sr.	F	21.9	1.4
44	Kara Smith	6-0	Sr.	F	32.9	9.6

Primary Reserves

No.	Name	Ht.	Yr.	Pos.	MPG	PPG
14	Cabria Johnson	6-0	R-Jr.	F	12.3	3.0
24	Imani Bailey	5-9	Fr.	G	15.0	2.4
34	Portia Deterville	6-0	Sr.	F	13.0	0.4

Scouting Delaware State

• Tamika Louis is in her first season at Delaware State

• The Hornets are members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

• DSU is 2-3 on the season and 1-0 in conference action, including a 67-52 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday, Dec. 1

• Four Hornets scored in double figures, including a team-high 28 points by Tierra Hawkins

• On the night, DSU shot 52 percent from the field, 33 percent from the three-point range and 79 percent from the free-throw line

• The Greyhounds average 58.6 ppg., while going 39 percent from the field, 26 percent from three-point range and 68 percent from the free-throw line

Doyle on the Double

Lady Bison standout begun her double-double performances, on the season Doyle has:

• 21 points and 10 rebounds (DePaul)

• 12 points and 11 rebounds (Northwestern)

Consecutive Honors for Doyle

Saadia Doyle was name 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-