Panther Sports Preview
Game of the Week: Men's and Women's Basketball vs. Madonna
Men's Basketball vs. Madonna
Coming off a pair of convincing wins, the eighth -ranked Panthers return home on Wednesday night to take on Madonna who is receiving votes in the last NAIA top-25 poll. Davenport improved to 10-1 overall and 6-0 in WHAC play with wins over Siena Heights and Lawrence Tech last week . After dropping their first game last week against Northwestern Ohio, Madonna was able to snap a two game losing streak defeating #12 Cornerstone 81-74 to move to 7-4 overall and 4-2 in conference.
The Panthers will be led by senior JaVontae Ford who is averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Dominez Burnett has stepped up his game over the past couple of weeks to raise his scoring average to just under 13 points per game. Burnett leads the team and ranks 33rd in the NAIA DII in total steals with 23.
As a team, the Panthers will suit up one of the top defenses in the NAIA. Davenport ranks second in field goal defense (.368), fourth in scoring defense (57.0), and fifth in both scoring margin (21.3) and total rebound margin (11). The Panthers have held teams under 50 points four times this season including each of the last two games.
Madonna will also send out a good defense and a very good shooting team. The Crusaders will be led by Travis Schuba who leads the conference with 19.27 points per game. He also leads the NAIA in 3-point field goals made per game averaging 4.5. Getting the ball to Schuba will be Bobby Naubert who leads the conference and is second in the NAIA in assists per game averaging 7.55.
Women's Basketball vs. Madonna
The women's basketball team is also coming off a 2-0 week which saw them defeat #RV Siena Heights 80-63 and Lawrence Tech 96-51. The sixth-ranked Lady Panthers come into the match-up with a 10-0 overall record and a 6-0 record in WHAC play. Madonna, who is receiving votes in the polls, won both of their games last week to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in conference. The game is scheduled for 1:00 PM Saturday afternoon.
Helping the Lady Panthers to their 10-0 start have been senior Karli Harris and freshman Tiesha Stokes. Stokes leads the Panthers in scoring average with 15 points a game and in rebounds averaging 8.22. Stokes ranks second in the NAIA DII in offensive rebounds per game averaging nearly five. Running the Davenport offense will run be Karli Harris. Harris leads the team in assists with 49 on the season and ranks fourth in the NAIA DII in steals per game (3.9).
Davenport will look to put pressure on Madonna both on the offensive and defensive end in Saturday's game. As a team, the Lady Panthers rank second in turnover margin (12.3), fourth in steals per game (16.5), and seventh in scoring offense per game (83.1).
Madonna on the other hand will try to slow the Panthers down and keep their transition offense in check. The Crusaders rank fourth in field goal perecentage defense allowing opponents to shoot just .318 from the floor. Their defense which allows 55.1 points per game ranks 10th.
Davenport will try to limit the production from Kaylee McGrath who leads the Crusaders in points (13.38), rebounds (7.75), and blocks (5 on the season). McGrath is shooting 56.8% from the floor which ranks 9th nationally. Shantelle Herring leads the team in steals per game with 3.33 (9th nationally).
Davenport Men's Player of the Week: Dugan Kelly, D3 Hockey
Dugan Kelly is the Davenport Male Athlete of the Week after helping the D3 Hockey team to a 2-1 week. Kelly recorded three goals and five assists in the teams two wins over Lansing Community College.
Kelly, a freshman from Gaylord, Mich., started the weekend by tallying a goal and an assist in the Panthers 9-2 win over Lansing CC on Friday. In Davenport's 12-2 rout of Lansing on Saturday, Kelly had a career night with two goals and four assists.
Kelly and the Panthers will host cross-town rival Grand Valley State University on Friday before traveling to Allendale to take on the Lakers on Saturday.
Davenport Women's Player of the Week: Andreya Teuber, Women's Bowling
Andreya Teuber is the Davenport Female Athlete of the Week as she led the Women's Bowling team to their third straight WHAC Jamboree win. In this weekend's WHAC Jamboree #3, Teuber bowled a team high 775, a 194 average, to help the Panthers to a 175 pin win over second place Indiana Tech.
Teuber, a junior from Swartz Creek, Mich., has also bowled well in the first two Jamborees. Andreya finished first overall with a four-game total of 802, a 200.5 average, in WHAC Jamboree #1. In the second Jamboree, Teuber finished second overall behind teammate Jessica Lubbers with a 194.5 average.
The bowling teams will have a few weeks off before competing in the Roto Grip Classic/Lehigh Valley Classic (Tier 1) over the Christmas break. The fourth WHAC Jamboree will be played in Fort Wayne, Ind. on Jan. 5th.
Places To Be This Week:
· Wednesday
o Men's Basketball vs. Madonna, DU Student Center, 7:30 PM
o Dance at MBB Game, DU Student Center, 7:30 PM
· Friday
o D3 Hockey vs. GVSU, Patterson Ice Center, 8:00 PM
· Saturday
o Women's Basketball vs. Madonna, DU Student Center, 1:00 PM
o Dance at WBB Game, DU Student Center, 1:00 PM
o D1 Hockey vs. GVSU, Patterson Ice Center, 1:00 PM
Teams on the Road:
· Track and Field
o Friday: Grand Valley State Holiday Open, Allendale, Mich., 4:00 PM
· D1 Hockey
o Friday: vs. GVSU, Allendale, Mich., 8:00 PM
· D3 Hockey
o Saturday: vs. GVSU, Allendale, Mich., 8:00 PM
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