Lady Bulldogs Start GCAC Play Against the Three-Time Champs

NASHVILLE— After two straight losses, the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs will welcome the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference three-time champion, the Rust College Bearcats, into town.

The Lady Bulldogs (2-4) started slow in the last game against Lindsey Wilson, scoring only seven points in the first quarter. Maya Buckhanon and Zipporah Davis combined for 52 of Fisk's total 74 points in the loss. Fisk Head Coach Victoria Crawford is looking for her role players to step up with some key injured players.  

"I told them we can't rely on two people if we want to win games," Crawford said. "We have some good players that we are waiting to see them break out. We are starting conference play now, so it is time to show up. The conference is watching."

The Lady Bearcats (7-1) roll into Nashville ranked 25^th in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll. Their only loss came against Oakland City their last time out. The game should be a barnburner as the previous two GCAC players of the Week, Buckhanon and Diamond Sweats, will battle.

Fisk pounds the ball inside, while Rust spreads the floor and shoots from three-point range. A key to the victory is which role players will step up.

The WMG "Pick 2 Click" is Mya Robinson. After taking last season off, Robinson has stepped up the previous two games, giving Fisk a spark off the bench.

Game 7: #25 Rust College (7-1) at Fisk University (2-4)  

Date/Time: Thursday, November 30 | 5:00 p.m. (CST)
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@FiskAthletics

Tickets: SW | Tickets (sportwrench.com)

Location: Henderson A. Johnson Arena, Nashville

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.

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.

Portal Players

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

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. 

SCOUTING THE RUST COLLEGE LADY BEARCATS

• Head Coach Eric Jackson is one of the top recruiters in the country. He has gone into the transfer portal for three seasons to solidify his team.
• Sweats has swept the Player and Newcomer of the Week twice this season. Last week, she won the Newcomer award, while Buckhanon was named Player of the Week.
• The Lady Bearcats broke their single-game record of three-pointers made with 15 against Arkansas Baptist. They are shooting 43 percent from behind the arc and averaging 23.6 attempts per game.
• Rust was picked to four-peat in the GCAC.
• Niya McGuire was picked as a second-team member of the preseason All-GCAC Team.

NEXT UP:

The Lady Bulldogs will hit the road on Saturday to take on Tougaloo College.

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