WINFIELD, Kan.— Southwestern College returns to the road Saturday as the Lady Builders face the University of Saint Mary in a KCAC women's basketball matchup. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. in Leavenworth.
Southwestern enters at 3-3 overall and 0-2 in conference play after league losses to McPherson and Bethel. The Lady Builders have done their best work away from home so far, going 3-1 on the road with nonconference wins over Manhattan Christian, Central Christian and Cottey.
Southwestern is averaging 63.2 points per game while shooting 39 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from 3-point range. Forward Macey Pond has been the focal point, leading the Lady Builders with 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and shooting 40.4 percent from the floor. She has been joined in double figures by Kennedy Ford at 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while perimeter threat Breanna Goad adds 9.7 points per game and has knocked down 12 3-pointers. Martha De La Rosa chips in 9.5 points per game and leads Southwestern with 14 assists.
Defensively, Southwestern is allowing 65.3 points per game and has been out-rebounded by an average of two boards per contest. The Lady Builders also average 15.3 turnovers per game, a number they will aim to trim against a Saint Mary team that averages 9.5 steals.
Saint Mary comes in at 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the KCAC after an 80-47 road win at York on Wednesday. The Spires feature one of the more explosive offenses in the league, scoring 75.7 points per game and shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from 3-point range. They average 9.3 made 3-pointers per outing.
Guard Addison Tower leads Saint Mary with 15.0 points per game and is shooting 42.6 percent from beyond the arc. She is joined by Abby Wendte at 11.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and Keely Barnard at 10.2 points per game with better than 40 percent shooting from 3-point range. The Spires share the ball well, averaging 15.3 assists, but they also turn it over 19.2 times per game.
Saturday's game extends a series that has recently tilted heavily toward Saint Mary. The Spires have won eight straight meetings, including an 88-70 win over Southwestern in Leavenworth last season. The Lady Builders' last victory in the series came in January 2021, and they are 1-9 in the last 10 matchups. Southwestern, however, still holds a 24-15 edge in the all-time series dating back to 2006.
Key factors on Saturday are likely to include Southwestern's perimeter defense against Saint Mary's high-volume 3-point attack, the battle on the glass between two teams with slight negative rebounding margins, and ball security on both sides. The Lady Builders will look to recapture their early road form and end their skid in the series, while the Spires aim to continue their strong offensive pace in conference play.
