HBU Huskies (4-7, 0-0 SLC) at McNeese Cowgirls (5-8, 0-0 SLC) 
Saturday Jan. 15 - 1:00 p.m.
Legacy Center - Lake Charles, Louisiana 

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LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana – The HBU women's basketball team opens up official Southland Conference play Saturday afternoon when they hit the road to face McNeese in the newly renamed Legacy Center.  
 
The Huskies (4-7, 0-0 SLC) are coming off of a unique lull in games in between conference and non-conference play. Due to health and safety protocols, the Huskies have played just once since December 11^th, including the cancellation of the Southland Conference Preseason Tip-Off Event. They dropped that close contest on the road to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 61-56, behind a 19 point showing off of the bench from Timia Jefferson.
 
"I think the recent cancellations have been hard on the girls, but they have been through it before", head coach Donna Finnie said. "We have to put it behind us and turn our attention to the next game."
 
Jefferson leads the Huskies in scoring so far this season, averaging 13 points per contest. N'Denasija Collins is second in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per game on 46 percent shooting from the floor, 42 percent shooting from three-point range. She also leads the Huskies in rebounds with 85 (7.7 per game), assists with 21, and steals with 21 and has three double-doubles on the season.
 
Marilyn Nziowu has three double-doubles for HBU, all coming off of the bench., and is the team leader in blocks with 16. Julija Vujakovic and Abbey Sutherland have started in all 11 games for the Huskies this year. Vujakovic is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.5 points per contest while Sutherland is second on the team in blocks with 14. Enya Maguire is averaging just under seven points per game and has added 33 rebounds, 19 assists, and 12 steals.

The McNeese Cowgirls (5-8, 0-0 SLC) are coming off of a dominating win against Ecclesia, 108-39. Four Cowgirls ended the game scoring in double figures, led by Kyla Hamilton who came off the bench to drop 24 points shooting 10-11 from the field, including 3-4 from distance. Desirae Hansen is leading McNeese in scoring with 10.3 points per game.
 
The Huskies won the last two matchups against the Cowgirls, the most recent coming in the First Round of the 2020-21 Southland Conference Tournament, 74-60 at the Merrell Center in Katy.
 
When asked about expectations heading into conference play off of Covid cancellations, Finnie said that "initial expectations are to compete hard in every game while improving on the small things that help win game. We need to win 50-50 balls, box out harder, finish isolation plays and knock down free throws."
 
The Huskies next two games will be on the road on Thursday January 20^th and 22nd when they head to San Antonio to take on the UIW Cardinals before traveling to Corpus Christi to take on the Islanders.