The Lincoln University women's basketball team face their second regionally ranked team in their 2018-19 campaign when they host Jefferson University on Sunday. The Rams were ranked #4 in the pre-season D2SIDAEast Region poll and received votes in the WBCA national poll.
The Series:
Sunday's game will be the eighth meeting between Jefferson (formerly Philadelphia University) and Lincoln. The Rams lead the all-time series 6-1. Lincoln's only win came during the 2013-14 season when the Lions secured a 71-58 victory at Manuel Rivero Hall. The Lions have lost the last three contests against the Rams.
About the Lions:
Lincoln University enters Sunday's game with a 2-1 record after defeating University of the District of Columbia 68-59.
Shakira Edwards (Newark, N.J./Bloomfield Tech) and
Deja Reynolds (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter (Temple)) led the Lions with 14 points apiece.
DeAshia Young (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Public Safety Academy (Labette CC)) added 13 points.
Alisia Machado (Brooklyn, N.Y./Medgar Evars Prep (Grambling)) in her Lincoln debut recorded 17 rebounds. The Lions scored the final 15points of the first quarter to jump out to a 21-5 lead and increased it to as many as 20 before holding back a late Firebird's rally to secure the win.
Machado became just the third Lincoln women's basketball player in the program's NCAA Division II history to record 17 or more rebounds in a game, joining teammate
Shahra Madison (Chesapeake, Va./Norfolk Collegiate School (Chesapeake College)) (19 last season vs. Bowie State (1/13)) and Michelle Fitzgerald (17 last season at Bowie State (2/7))
Lincoln opened their season with a 86-71 win over regionally ranked Kutztown University. Young exploded for 31 points in the win while grabbing nine rebounds. Edwards added 11 while
Jada Queen (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic) chipped in ten.
Edwards recorded her first collegiate double-double the next day as the Lions lost to Bloomsburg, 54-47. The freshman guard had 12 points and ten rebounds.
LU Weekly Honors: For her efforts in the Lions two games last week Edwards was named the CIAA Rookie of the Week. Edwards averaged 11.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 91.7% from the free throw line (11-12) and 35.3% (6-17) from the field.
Scouting the Rams:
The Rams are off to a 3-0 start with three wins over teams from the East Coast Conference. (Molloy, Queens and NYIT). Jefferson was ranked fourth in the D2SIDA Pre-Season East Region Poll as they started their 2018-19 campaign.
In their last game the Rams defeated NYIT on Wednesday night in Jefferson's home opener by a final of 76-57. Senior Jessica Kaminski reached 1000 career points in the win. Senior Erin Maher scored a game-high 22 points to go along with a double-double behind 14 boards, four assists, one block and one steal. Sophomore Caitlyn Cunningham went 9-of-14 from the floor as she recorded 19 points, nine assists, seven steals, two blocks and two steals. Jefferson shot 50.7% from the floor (34-of-67), 25.0% from deep (3-of-12) and 83.3% from the line (5-of-6).
Kaminski earned CACC Defensive Player of the Week honors for games played last week, totaling 20 rebounds, three steals and two blocks as the Rams went 2-0.
Head Coach Tom Shirley, picked up his 600
th win as the Rams head coach in Jefferson's opening game victory over Molloy. He added a second milestone, his 750
th career win overall the next day when the Rams defeated Queens.
