Lady Bulldogs Finish Homestand with Test Against UT Southern

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— After starting the season with two losses, the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs will look to extend their two-game winning streak when they take on the UT Southern Lady Firehawks (0-4) on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at the Henderson A. Johnson Arena.                  

This will be the first matchup between the two schools since 2021. UTS swept Fisk that year, winning by 17 at Fisk and 29 at home.

"I am glad that we are playing them again because we are so close to each other," said Fisk head coach Victoria Crawford. "They have handled us over the years, so we need to be ready. They aren't going to lay down and let us win; we will have to play well."

The game will feature two former high school rivals in Fisk's A'Niya Young and UTS guard LaRose Morrow. They both are 2021 graduates of the Metro Nashville Public School system. Young starred at East Nashville Magnet and Morrow at Maplewood High School. The two also share a wealthy family background in sports. Young's parents, McKinley Young Jr. and April Johnson, both played at Fisk, while Morrow's mother, Cari Hassell-Morrow, was a highly decorated basketball player at nearby Tennessee State University.

The WMG "Pick 2 Click" is Laila Eliotti. Eliotti will need to control the Lady Bulldog offense while playing tough defense against the Lady Firehawk backcourt.

Game 5: UT Southern (0-4) at Fisk University (2-2)

Date/Time: Wednesday, November 22 | 1:00 p.m. (CST)
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/live/a8QksoJeziw?si=QqvO_S0Eig7MSf8g

Location: Henderson A. Johnson Arena, Nashville, Tennessee

Crawford Charisma

Head coach Victoria Crawford has gained a lot of ground in the community after only being in Nashville for a little over a year. She put on a fundraising golf tournament this summer that was well attended. Crawford has made crossroads with some of the Who's Who of the Nashville scene, including Johari Matthews of the Tennessee Titans, politicians like Deputy Mayor Brenda Haywood, State Representative Dr. Harold Love, and Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry. When she arrived to play at the University of Memphis, she followed Nashville Judge Rachel Bell there.

Eliotti Excels

Junior Laila Eliotti has represented Fisk well on and off the court. The Computer Science major spent part of her last two summers in Seattle, Washington, interning with the Meta University Software Engineering Academy and Zillow.

Zip, Fast and in a Hurry

Senior Zipporah Davis is the lone returner named to the GCAC all-preseason team. She is the top returner scorer on the team at 9.3 ppg. Her quickness on the defensive end will also be depended upon for the Lady Bulldog's success this season.

Old Faces, Same Spaces

Some old faces are back on the court for Fisk. After taking a year off, junior post player De'Lesia Scott and classmate power forward Mya Robinson are back in uniform. They both, along with A'NIya Young and Eliotti, were part of the Notorious Nine recruiting class in 2021.

Portal Players

With Crawford returning four players this season, she hit the recruiting trail searching for players with college experience. She was able to get Division I transfer Liz Gibbs and two Juco transfers, Jayla Bibbs and Jordyn Bailey. Crawford was also able to coax her former recruit at Lincoln College, Maurecia Mathis, and walk-on Aminata McClow, whom she met on campus, to join the team.

The Buck Doesn't Stop Here

Maya Buckhanon returns this season after being named to the NAIA All-American Second Team. Buckhanon was the GCAC Most Valuable and Defensive Player of the Year. This week she was named the GCAC and TSWA Player of the Week. 

Hanging With Coach Cooper

Last season, Anthony Cooper was named the GCAC Assistant Coach of the Year. Cooper is one of the hottest prospects around the country for a head coaching job.

Show Me the Drop Step

Frontcourt players Maurecia Mathis, Robinson, and Scott all hail from St. Louis, Missouri. Mathis is in her first year in a Lady Bulldog uniform, while Robinson and Scott sat out last season after coming in as freshmen together in 2021.

Something Borrowed

Crawford went to the transfer portal to grab Liz Gibbs from nearby NCAA Division I Austin Peay State University. The athletic senior is a combo guard who loves to play defense and a slasher who loves the transition game. Crawford has followed her since her high school days. JUCO transfers Jayla Gibbs and Kierra Fulton look to eat up a lot of minutes from the wing positions. Gibbs is a tenacious defender who can shoot the three and bring a spark. Fulton is a gym rat that will also bring aggressiveness on the defensive end. Aminata McClow is a 5'11 walk-on junior post player who will look to spell Buckhanon and play crucial minutes. 

SCOUTING THE UT SOUTHERN LADY FIREHAWKS

• Head coach Billy Evans enters his sixth season with the Firehawks. He has a career record of 339-325.
• UTS was picked to finish tenth in the Southern States Athletic Conference.
• Kassidy Broussard is the leading scorer with a 10.8 ppg average.
• 11 of the 13 players on the roster hail from Tennessee. Ten are from the Midstate area.