WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Lindenwood vs Southern Arkansas
WHEN: Friday, Nov. 10 | 11 a.m.
WHERE: St. Charles, Mo. (Hyland Arena)
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO

Lindenwood at Missouri State
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 11 | 5 p.m.
WHERE: St. Charles, Mo. (Hyland Arena)
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO

OVERVIEW
The Lindenwood women's basketball team opens the 2017-18 regular season by hosting the MIAA/GAC Challenge. Lindenwood plays GAC members Southern Arkansas on Friday and Arkansas-Monticello on Saturday. Lincoln joins LWU as the MIAA representatives.

Lindenwood Notes:
- The Lions played two exhibitions against NCAA Division I opponents. Lindenwood played Saint Louis on Nov. 3, falling to the Billikens 56-77. Kallie Bildner was the top performer for LU, scoring 17 points with eight rebounds. The Lions then played Missouri State on Nov. 5 where they dropped a game to the Lady Bears 48-75. Bildner and freshman Jade Giron each scored 12 points in the MSU contest. 
- Lindenwood was selected seventh in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. The Lions return four starters from last year's team that advanced to the MIAA semifinals, battling then-No. 25 Central Oklahoma to an 84-82 nail-biter. 
-Lindenwood is bringing back 76% of last year's scoring. Leading the returners is MIAA Freshman of the Year Kallie Bildner. Bildner led the Lions with 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. 
-Bildner is joined on the 2017-18 team by fellow sophomores Gabby Walker (10.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Lindsay Medlen (9.7 ppg, 3.5 apg). 
- Bildner shot .585 from the field last year, the best field goal percentage by a Lion in the NCAA era (min 100 attempts).
- The Lions return four athletes who recorded at least 4.0 rebounds per game in 2016-17: Kallie Bildner (9.2 rpg), Gabby Walker (5.1 rpg), Sara Ross (4.5 rpg) and CeCe Rapp (4.3 rpg). Additionally, Lindsay Medlen recorded 3.9 rpg last season.
- The Lions welcome three freshmen and a junior transfer to the roster this season.
Freshman guard Jade Giron (Houston, Texas), freshman forward Kenzie Guese (St. James, Mo.) and freshman guard Devin Fuhring (St. James, Mo.) comprise the 2017-18 freshman class. Junior transfer and NAIA All-American Lexie Moe (Dardenne Prairie, Mo./Central Methodist) rounds out the Lindenwood newcomers. 
- Head coach Tony Francis enters his eighth season at Lindenwood as the program's only coach in the NCAA era. He has a career record of 89-109. 

SAU Notes:
- The Lady Muleriders were selected 12th in the GAC preseason coaches poll.
- SAU returns four players from last year's team that went 6-20 overall and 4-18 in the Great American Conference. 
- Leading the returners is Kimberly Crown who posted 11.5 point and 7.2 rebounds per game a year ago. 
- The Lady Muleriders have 11 newcomers for the 2017-18 season. Four of the newcomers are NCAA Division I transfers while three are junior college transfers.

UAM Notes:
- The Blossoms were picked 11th in the GAC preseason coaches poll. 
- UAM finished eighth in the GAC last season with a 11-16 overall record and an 8-14 mark in conference games. 
- The Blossoms return three letterwinners from last years team, including starters Brittnee Broadway (7.1 ppg, 113 assists) and Taylor Collins (9.9 points per game). 
- Also returning is sophomore Mackenzie Johnson who played in 20 games last season, averaging 10.8 points per game. 

Series Notes
- Southern Arkansas and Lindenwood have not met in women's basketball in the NCAA era of Lion Basketball. 
- Lindenwood holds a 2-1 series advantage over Arkansas-Monticello with the Lions winning the lsat meeting on 12/5/16 by a score of 80-57.