WBB Game Preview: WBU vs Hannibal-LaGrange (Feb. 20 | 5:30 PM)

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (2/19/25) – The Williams Baptist University women's basketball team will take on Hannibal-LaGrange on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Southerland-Mabee Center.

GAME INFORMATION

(RV) WILLIAMS BAPTIST EAGLES (23-3, 19-1 AMC) vs HANNIBAL-LAGRANGE TROJANS (3-23, 0-20 AMC)
Game Info: Thursday, Feb. 20 - 5:30 p.m. CST - Southerland-Mabee Center (Walnut Ridge, Ark.)
Live stats: https://wbueagles.com/sports/wbkb/2024-25/boxscores/20250220_8mii.xml
Live video: https://wbueagles.com/watch 

MATCHUP FACTS

Last Meeting: Jan. 16, 2025 (WBU 83-35)
Current Streak: WBU W5

WBU QUICK FACTS

2024-25 Record: 23-3 (19-1 AMC)
Current Streak: W18
2023-24 Record: 24-7 (15-3 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: Fell to William Carey 73-56 in the NAIA Tournament Opening Round
Head Coach: John Mayberry (8th season)
HC Record: 146-81 (107-55 AMC)
HC Record at WBU: Same
Assistant Coach: Kala Tyus (6th season)

ABOUT HANNIBAL-LAGRANGE

2024-25 Record: 3-23 (0-20 AMC)
Current Streak: L20
2023-24 Record: 5-20 (1-17 AMC)
2023-24 Postseason: None
Head Coach: Kelly Quigle (13th season)
Assistant Coach: Makayla Hilliard

HLGU NOTABLES

• Hannibal-LaGrange fell in its last matchup with Central Baptist 73-63 in Hannibal, Mo. on Saturday, Feb. 15

• Ivy Lesley dropped 36 points in the loss

• Ainsley Diepenbrock posted a double-double on 15 points and 10 rebounds

• Hannibal fought back in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight, but the Mustangs kept pace to put away the Trojans

• HLGU lost the rebound battle 38-30

• Hannibal-LaGrange scores an average of 45.7 points per game (12th AMC) while opponents put up an average of 74.8 PPG against them (11th AMC)

• Ivy Lesley leads the Trojans in scoring with 18.5 points per game (2nd AMC)

• Lesley also leads on the boards with an average of 7.2 rebounds per game (7th AMC)

• As a team, HLGU averages 30.3 rebounds per game (12th AMC)

• The Trojans are in the midst of a 20-game losing streak, with the team's last win coming in a 65-56 triumph over Trinity Christian on Nov. 16

• The Trojans were picked to finish 12th in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

LAST TIME OUT

• The Lady Eagles clinched a share of the AMC regular season title with a 91-69 win over Missouri Baptist on Saturday, Feb. 15.  It is the first AMC championship in program history.

• Carmen Taylor led with 31 points on 12-for-18 shooting on the night

• Her sister Charmen Taylor followed up with 17 on 7-for-12 shooting

• Kaylee Isaacs posted her third straight double-double on 12 points and 12 rebounds.  Isaacs currently has seven this season.

• As a team, the Lady Eagles went 33-for-73 (45.2 percent) from the field and knocked down 11-of-20 three-point attempts (55.0 percent)

• Williams won the rebound battle 41-38

• The Lady Eagles forced 22 Spartan turnovers that turned into 32 points

• The Lady Eagles ended the first quarter on a 12-2 run, and out-scored MBU 30-10 in the second quarter for a 53-23 lead at halftime

• The Spartans out-scored WBU in the second half, but it was not enough to surmount the large lead

WBU NOTABLES

• The Lady Eagles will clinch the outright AMC regular season title and an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament with a win in either of its final two games

• Kaylee Isaacs (Clark) is now the all-time leading scorer for Williams Baptist University women's basketball with 1,920 total points.  She surpassed Angela Flippo's all-time career record on Thursday, Feb. 6 against Crowley's Ridge.

• Isaacs passed Jessica Shepard to become the all-time leader in career three-pointers at WBU with her 193rd make from deep against Central Baptist on Feb. 13

• Carmen Taylor became the seventh member of the 1,000 point club at WBU with 11 points against Mission on Feb. 11.  She is the first Eagle to join the club after only two seasons.

• Kaylee Isaacs was named the American Midwest Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after collecting 36 rebounds, 10 steals, and three blocks across three games

• Carmen Taylor leads the American Midwest Conference in scoring average at 19.2 PPG (20th Nationally), with a season high of 36 against Central Baptist (Jan. 14)

• Kaylee Isaacs ranks second in the conference in scoring average with 17.4 points per game (47th Nationally) and a season-high of 35 against Mission (Feb. 11)

• Isaacs also leads the Lady Eagles on the glass with an average of 7.1 rebounds per game (8th AMC), highlighted by a 15 rebound performance against Harris-Stowe (Jan. 23)

• Sara Crowe ranks second in the AMC in FG% with a 55.4 percent mark

• Charmen Taylor follows right behind in third at a 55.2 percent clip

• Williams is third in the nation in scoring with an average of 89.5 points per game

• WBU stands at first place in the AMC standings with a conference record of 19-1

• The Lady Eagles 19 conference wins is a new school record for the most conference wins in a season

• Williams went undefeated in the month of January

• WBU received top 25 votes in the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches Poll No. 6 released on Feb. 12

• 2023-24 and 2024-25 are the first consecutive 20+ win seasons for WBU women's basketball since the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons

• Williams is coming off its first NAIA Tournament appearance in program history in 2023-24

• The Eagles were picked to finish third in the AMC Preseason Coaches Poll

AMERICAN MIDWEST CONFERENCE STANDINGS
As of 2/19/25

1 Williams Baptist (19-1)
2 Columbia (17-3)
3 Mission (16-4)
4 Stephens (15-5)
5 Cottey (14-6)
6 William Woods (9-11)
T7 Central Baptist (8-12)
T7 Missouri Baptist (8-12)
9 UHSP (6-14)
10 Harris-Stowe (5-15)
11 Crowley's Ridge (3-17)
12 Hannibal-LaGrange (0-20)

The top eight teams in the AMC standings will participate in the AMC Tournament at the end of the season, hosted by the number one seed.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Up next, WBU will conclude the regular season against Cottey on Saturday, Feb. 22 at home.  Tip-off against the Comets is set for 1 p.m. inside the Southerland-Mabee Center.

• Williams' 2024-25 schedule features 14 home games inside the Southerland-Mabee Center on the campus of Williams Baptist University