Lindenwood women's basketball (0-0, 0-0 GLVC) opens the 2021-22 season at No. 8 Ashland on Friday at 2:00 p.m. CST. The team will stay in Ohio to face Malone on Saturday in Canton at 1:00 p.m. CST.

QUICK NOTES
Katie Falco enters her fourth season as head coach of the Lions in 2021-22, and the Lions have achieved a winning season in each campaign under Falco, highlighted by a 21-8 mark in her first season with the program in 2018-19.

Lindenwood returns Devin Fuhring, whom moved into 6th in team NCAA-era history in scoring with 888 career points following the 2020-21 season. Julia Ruzevich (first-team), Devin Fuhring (second-team), and Ellen McCorkle (third-team) were selected to the All-GLVC squad for Lindenwood last season. Fuhring was represented on the All-Conference list for the second-consecutive season. The team returns all five starters (Gracie Neff, Fuhring, Hennessey Handy, Ruzevich, and McCorkle). Neff made 18 starts while the other four players started all 20 games. Ruzevich, Fuhring, and McCorkle accounted for 72.0% of the team's scoring (49.9 PPG).

The Lions add four freshman to the upcoming season. Paige Craft, Sophia Horton, Mary McGrath, and Alana Striverson enter their first season with the team. In 2021-22, the Lions will play a full season, non-conference and conference, after a COVID-effected 2020-21 campaign. Last season, Lindenwood played a 20 game conference-only slate.

Julia Ruzevich (11) and Ellen McCorkle (7) accounted for 18 double doubles during the 2020-21 season. Ruzevich was 10th in DII and second in the GLVC, while McCorkle finished 34th in the nation and sixth in the conference. Ruzevich tallied seven games with 14 or more rebounds, and six games with 23 or more points. McCorkle finished the season with 10-straight games of 14 or more points, six of which were double doubles. At Missouri S&T on Feb. 6, 2021, McCorkle totaled 28 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks.

The Lions were the top team in the GLVC in blocked shots (94) and blocked shots per game (4.7) in 2020-21. Both of the totals put the team in the top 20 in the NCAA for blocks and blocks per game. Ellen McCorkle was second in the conference in blocks (43) and blocks per game (2.15). Nicole Hernandez recorded 17 blocks in limited playing time, putting her seventh in the league.

Entering the season, Devin Fuhring ranks in the Lindenwood career top 10 in scoring (888), games started (48), steals (84), blocked shots (42), and assists (126). Through her first two seasons with the Lions, Julia Ruzevich sits in the top 10 in NCAA-era history in rebounds (350), assists (146), blocks (34), and steals (77). Ellen McCorkle enters the campaign third in blocked shots all-time (56), 43 of which came in the 2020-21 shortened season.

Lindenwood and Ashland have never met in a regular season contest. The Eagles enter the season ranked No. 8 in all of NCAA Division II, and the team will face four-straight GLVC schools to open the season (Lindenwood, UIndy, Lewis, and Southern Indiana). Kari Pickens' has won 29 or more games in two of her three seasons at the helm of the program, although a shortened 2020-21 season limited the team to 16 wins.

Lindenwood and Malone have never met in a regular season contest. The team will face two-straight GLVC schools to open the season (UIndy and Lindenwood), and the Pioneers were picked to finish eighth in the G-MAC Coaches Poll.

FOLLOW ALONG
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UP NEXT
The Lions open up at home against Emporia State on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.