Lady Dawgs Travel to Ohio to Take on Wilberforce

Game 23: Fisk University Lady Bulldogs (8-13, 6-8 HBCUAC) at Wilberforce University (9-12, 5-9 HBCUAC)

Date/Time: Thursday February 6, 2025, 5 p.m. (CST)

Watch: UEN Network

Location: Wilberforce University

WILBERFORCE, Ohio (February 5, 2025) – After eight days off, the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs will travel to Ohio to take on the Wilberforce University Bulldogs. A Fisk win will keep them in second place in the HBCUAC's East Division and put some distance between them and Talladega, who is tied with Fisk in record, but the Lady Bulldogs hold the tiebreaker, as well as Oakwood and Rust, who are only two games behind them.

This will be the first matchup this season between the two teams. They will play again on February 15 in Nashville. Keeli Burton-Oliver continued her strong play, with a 22-point, 12-rebound effort last time out against Johnson University. The loss came after HBCUAC East Division road wins over Talladega College and Voorhees Univeristy.

The Lady Bulldogs have demonstrated resilience and skill throughout the season, and much of their success can be attributed to the leadership of their senior players. With a mix of seasoned returners and impactful transfers, the team's experience will be pivotal in navigating the final stretch of the season and playoffs. As they prepare to face Wilberforce, and then Rust College on Saturday, Crawford emphasizes the importance of maintaining focus and intensity, particularly in away games where the environment can be less forgiving.

"We have eight seniors and now is the time for them to take over," said Crawford. "If we want to go back to Nationals, we need to play like we are in the tournament now. Playing on the road has its challenges. The next two games are crucial."

Key Matchup

Wilberforce's combination of Makyla Tucker (14.4 ppg) and Constance Chaplin (13.7 ppg) are the top two scoring duo in the conference. Tucker leads the HBCUAC in three-point field goals made with 67, while Chaplin averages an impressive 7.2 rebounds per game.  Courtney Lumpkins will be assigned to Tucker. It will be important for her to stay home and not allow Tucker to get off her shot. A'Niya Young will need to use her quickness to make things tough on Chaplin.

WMG Pick2Click

Keeli Burton-Oliver has been a key component for the Lady Bulldogs since the calendar has flipped to 2025. She has averaged 16.9 points per game. Look for her to use her size advantage in the paint to score and get to the free throw line.

Lady Dawgs at A Glance

Senior Leadership

The days of college players playing for four years at one school have become a loss art. The Fisk Women's Basketball Team has done a pretty good job of keeping players in school through their eligibility. With a mixture of returning players and transfers, Fisk started the season with nine seniors on their roster. The team heads into the second semester with seven.

Mia Robinson, Dee Scott and A'Niya Young are three holdovers from the highly decorated "Notorious Nine" recruiting class of 2021. They join Jayla Bibbs, Keeli Burton-Oliver, Courtney Lumpkins, and Ami McClow as the seven seniors.

Playing Big

The front line duo of Burton-Oliver and Scott have been a tough tandem in the paint for opponents. Burton-Oliver was named Newcomer of the Week two weeks ago. She scored 20 plus points in two of the three games that week. Scott has been a force on the defensive end and has raised her scoring average to 10.2 points per game.  

UP NEXT: The Lady Bulldogs will finish their road portion of the regular season on Saturday at Rust College.