Lady Bulldogs Welcomes Philander Smith for Saturday Matinee

December 9, 2023

NASHVILLE — After a big win on Thursday against previously undefeated conference foe Wiley University, the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs will have another tough test when they welcome the Philander Smith Lady Panthers to the Henderson A. Johnson Arena.

The Lady Panthers (9-3, 2-1 GCAC) and the Lady Bulldogs (4-6, 2-1 GCAC) find themselves in a tie in the standings, looking up to Rust College (1-0 GCAC) and Wiley University (3-1 GCAC). Fisk has played both schools at home, losing to Rust but defeating Wiley on Thursday. Their other win came on the road against Tougaloo College.

Philander comes in with their only GCAC blemish against Dillard on the road by one point. Their two victories came against SUNO and on Thursday against Oakwood University. The Lady Panthers' balanced attack is led by GCAC Preseason First Teamer Dasia Turner, who leads the team with an 11.0 ppg average. Kimberlynn Washington averages 10.3, while GCAC Preseason Player of the Year Myia Yelder is fourth behind Elaija Brown (9.6), with an 8.6 ppg average.

"This will be our third home game in conference play, so this is big," said Fisk Head Coach Victoria Crawford. "They knocked us out of the tournament last season. Their sharing the ball will make us have to play solid on the defensive end. Another tough test for us."

The WMG "Pick 2 Click" is freshman Jordan Bailey. In her first collegiate start on Thursday, she scored ten points.

Game 10: Philander Smith College (9-3, 2-1 GCAC) Fisk University (4-6, 2-1 GCAC)

Date/Time: Saturday, December 9 | 2:00 p.m. (CST)
Watch: Fisk YouTube Channel

Location: Henderson A. Johnson Arena

TEAM CONF OVERALL

RUST (MS) 1-0 8-2

WILEY (TX) 3-1 8-4

FISK (TN) 2-1 4-6

PHILANDER SMITH 2-1 9-3

DILLARD (LA) 1-1 2-5

TOUGALOO (MS) 1-1 1-4

OAKWOOD (AL) 1-2 3-8

TALLADEGA (AL) 1-2 3-3

VIRGIN ISLANDS 0-0 0-4

SOUTHERN U NOLA 0-3 0-8

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 crossed 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.

All American Assassin

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.

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.

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.

Bibbity Bobity Boo

Jayla Bibbs has been coming on as of late. The transfer from Buchanon, Michigan had her best game in a Bulldog uniform the last time out, scoring 20 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. The effort gave her two straight double-doubles.

Zip, Fast and in a Hurry

Senior Zipporah Davis is the lone returner named to the GCAC all-preseason team. She is ranked second in returner scorers 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, along with A'NIya Young and Eliotti, were part of the Notorious Nine recruiting class of 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 looking to spell Buckhanon and play crucial minutes.

NEXT UP:

The Lady Bulldogs will hit the road for the rest of 2023, starting Monday with a trip to Alabama to take on Talladega.