LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell women's basketball finishes out their final home stand this weekend, hosting Illinois Springfield on Thursday before taking on Lewis on Saturday for Senior Day.   

ADMISSION 🎟
😷 Spectators are permitted. Masks are required in the Mabee Center.

BROADCAST 🎥 
• vs. Illinois Springfield
• vs. Lewis

LIVE STATS 📊
• vs. Illinois Springfield
• vs. Lewis

CARDINAL NOTES

• The Cardinals are back in the Mabee Center for the final time this season before beginning a three-game road swing to close out the regular season.
• With a young team, the Cardinals are looking at areas of improvement this winter and one of significance has been rebounding. This season, Jewell is averaging just over 31 per game but have strived for more consistency as they have grabbed at least 30 boards in six of the last eight games. Leading the charge is Katie Knock who boasts a team-best 5.7 while Libby Arnold and Kate Hillyer each pull down 4.8 per outing. On Monday versus Maryville, sophomore Elizabeth Ernsting pulled down a career high nine. 
• Libby Arnold has been on the most productive stretch of her young career over the past few weeks averaging 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over the last six contests. The sophomore has scored in double digits in five of those six games and had at least five rebounds in four, including a career high nine against Southern Indiana. 
• Despite no true post player for much of the season, Jewell has blocked 61 shots, for an average over more than three per game, fourth best in the GLVC. Katie Knock leads with 18 rejections, fifth most by a Cardinal in a single season in the NCAA era and 11th in a career. The sophomore is two shy of Lindsey McCoy's 20 during 2017-18 season. Three others, Elizabeth Ernsting, Kate Hillyer and Katelynn Ostronic, have all blocked at least eight shots. 
• The Cardinals continue to be one of the best in the GLVC in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 40.4% from the floor, sixth in the league standings. Jewell is also eighth in three-point field goal defense at 31.1%.
• Saturday is Senior Day for the Cardinals as Jewell will recognize the lone active senior on the roster, Lea Finn. A four-year letterwinner and second in her family to wear the Cardinal uniform, Finn has appeared in 84 games and scored nearly 400 points while pulling down 146 rebounds over the last four seasons. 
• The Cardinals are in their 49th season of varsity basketball, and chasing the 800-win mark, entering the season at 785. The program has won nine conference championships and appeared in seven national tournaments. 
• Jill Slominski entered the 2021-2022 season with 459 career wins, making her the winningest active coach in the GLVC and 21st in Division II.
   

ABOUT ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD

• Illinois Springfield is one of the most improved programs in the GLVC in recent years under third year head coach Casey Thousand, coming in at 13-7 on the season and a program best 8-6 in conference play. 
• The Prairie Stars are led by Lauren Ladowski, who recently became the program's all-time leading scorer, and averages 17.2 points per game, third best in the GLVC. The junior adds 2.8 steals and 2.7 assists. 
• Malea Jackson adds 14.1 points and Ellie Mitchell 10.5 while Jalyn Harris pulls down a team high 7.7 rebounds. 
• As a team, UIS averages 70 points per game while giving up just under 66. 
• Thousand is now in her third season with the Stars has improved the team's win total in each year. She was previously the associate head coach at Northern Michigan, going 55-36 during that time.
   

ABOUT LEWIS 

• Lewis enters the week at 7-12 on the season, 5-6 in conference play. 
• Four players average in double figures for the Flyers, led by Grace Hilber and Kathryn Schmidt at 14.5 and 14.0, respectively. Taylor Gugliuzza and Jenna Badali add 12.2 and 11.3 while Lily Courier chips in 9.5. As a team, Lewis averages 68.7 points while giving up 69.3.
• Schmidt enters the week, eighth in the league with 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 44% from the floor and playing over 35 minutes. 
• The Flyers are one of the best in Division II at taking care of the basketball, coming in leading the GLVC and sixth in the nation in fewest turnovers with 229 over 19 games. 
• Matt Nelson is in his first season at the top of the Lewis program, after spending three seasons as an assistant as the Flyers went 59-26 with two NCAA Tournament berths during that span.