LIBERTY, Mo. - The William Jewell women's basketball returns to Great Lakes Valley Conference play this week, hosting Illinois Springfield and Quincy. Thursday's game will also be Youth Team Night, presented by Crowley Furniture and Mattress. 

THE SERIES

• The Cardinals are 8-5 against UIS in the NCAA era but the teams have traded wins the last few years, going 4-4 since 2015. Jewell is 7-11 against the Hawks since joining the GLVC. After winning six of eight from 2016-21, the Cardinals dropped both meetings last season.    

CARDINAL NOTES

• Jewell is coming off a 97-52 loss at the hands of No. 11 Central Missouri last week after a 69-66 win over Rockhurst to close the first semester of action. 
• The Cardinals have made a living by the three point shot, averaging nearly 23 attempts per game, third most in the GLVC. Shooting better than 32% from long range, Jewell has made double digit threes in five different games, including two of their three wins. Kate Hillyer leads the team with 1.93 triples per game on a 42% clip. 
• Emree Zars continues to be one of the top rebounders in the league. The freshman is currently seventh overall with 7.3 rebounds per night and fourth with 5.9 defensive boards. She already boasts five double-digit rebounding performances to her credit, including three in conference play. 
• Jewell will be looking to erase last season's second half and return to what is a traditionally strong part of the season for the program. The Cardinals have won at least eight games in the second half six times in the NCAA era, including going 12-8 in 2012-2013.
• Ayden Shannon finished the first semester strong, averaging 17.3 points per game over the final four contests. As quick as they come off the dribble, she is also a threat from beyond the arc, connecting on better than 38% of shots, including going 9-for-20 combined against Ottawa and Rockhurst. The rookie point guard enters the second half leading the Cardinals in scoring (10.9), assists (1.7), steals (1.2), and minutes played (29.7). 
• Bree Shannon saw her minutes increase significantly over the final weeks of 2022. After averaging 12.6 minutes per game through the first 10 games, the freshman has put in 27 over the last five outings. During that time she has put in 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while committing just three total turnovers. Her assist-to-turnover ratio is better than 1.53, top-20 in the GLVC, entering the second half of the season.