GLENVILLE - The Ohio Valley University basketball teams will hit the road today to take on Glenville State College inside the Jesse R. Lilly Gymnasium in a West Virginia Conference doubleheader.
OVU's women, losers of seven straight and still searching for win number one, will take on a Pioneer squad at 5:30 p.m. that entered the week as the top scoring Division II program in the nation with a 92.0 ppg average.
Glenville State (7-2, 4-1 WVIAC) bounced back from its first conference loss last Saturday at West Liberty (101-93) by extending its home record to 5-0 after pulling out an 87-84 victory Monday versus Charleston. Pioneer leading scorer Ginny Mills (18.6) hit the game-winning 3-pointer while Ashleigh Fossett banged home nine triples en route to a season-high 29 points.
A year ago, OVU was swept by the Pioneers, who narrowly won 90-88 inside the Snyder Activity Center early in the year before rolling to a 113-89 victory later in the season in Glenville.
While Fossett is averaging nearly 14 points an outing, GSC head coach Bunky Harkleroad's team also has gotten solid play from Kenyona Simmons, who is putting up better than 16 points a game and leads the team in rebounds (8.1).
The Fighting Scots, who have lost four games by 12 points or less, are led in scoring by Shelby Way (14.7) and Jasmine Gibson (12.6). Gibson has paced OVU in scoring three times this year while Kayla Parsley (7.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg) has been the Fighting Scots' top rebounder on the season and during the last four contests. Amy Brooks (8.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Tara Benedict (7.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg) also have been solid contributors.
Fact Box
College Basketball
Today in Glenville
At Jesse R. Lilly Gymnasium
Women's Game
OVU (0-7, 0-4 WVIAC) vs.
GSC (7-2, 4-1 WVIAC)
Game time: 5:30 p.m. today
Men's Game
OVU (2-6, 1-3 WVIAC) vs.
GSC (4-4, 2-3 WVIAC)
Game time: 7:30 p.m. today
Mike Snell's OVU men's team split the season series last year versus GSC. Ohio Valley, thanks to a 74-65 triumph against Bluefield State on Monday, snapped a six-game losing skid, but the Fighting Scots (2-6, 1-3) are still 0-3 on the road.
Ashton Brown currently leads OVU in scoring (18.5) and has led the team in that department five times this year. Jerry Macon Jr. is averaging nearly 10 points an outing and teammate Mustafa Helal has been OVU's top rebounder on four occasions.
The Pioneers (4-4, 2-3) had a four-game winning streak earlier this year, but are currently losers of three straight. GSC's Joe Ballard is scoring nearly 10 points a game and four Pioneers - Jamel Morris (17.5), Lamar Mallory (15.8), Kevin Gray (13.9) and DJ Blanks (10.1) - are averaging in double figures.
Mallory has 79 rebounds in eight games and is coming off a 21-point, 13-carom effort in an 88-65 setback Monday to Charleston.
Tip-off for the men's contest is slated for 7:30 p.m.
