THE AGENDA
The OUAZ women's basketball team will make program history this week as they play their first-ever Golden State Athletic Conference games. The first-ever GSAC game is on Thursday at 5 p.m. when they Spirit welcome No. 14 The Master's to Surprise. They will then host No. 8 Westmont on Saturday at noon.
Both homes games will be played at Willow Canyon High School as part of a doubleheader with the OUAZ men's team. Fans are encouraged to park on the south side of the gymnasium and enter the building through the west doors. Admission is free to al OUAZ home basketball games this season.
OUAZ will broadcast both games live on the NAIA Network and through the Spirit Game Central portal. The NAIA Network is available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku devices by searching NAIA. Live stats will also be available during each game. Links for all live coverage is available at
OUAZSpirit.com/live.
The latest news and information on OUAZ women's basketball can be found at OUAZSpirit.com, by downloading the OUAZ Athletic app from the Apple and Android app stores, and by following the Spirit on social media by searching OUAZSpirit and OUAZWBB.
ABOUT THE SPIRIT
OUAZ will start the first round of conference play with a 4-1 overall record and 2-0 at home. The Spirit opened the year with four straight wins before falling at Benedictine Mesa last Saturday. Dating back to last season, OUAZ is 8-2 in their past 10 games played and they are 5-1 all-time at home.
The Spirit enter the week averaging 77.4 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent overall. They make 4.6 3-pointers per game at a clip of 20.5 percent. The Spirit are getting 49.4 rebounds per game while distributing 13.4 assists per contest.
OUAZ opponents are scoring 58.0 points per game and being held to 32.3 percent shooting. The opposition makes 20.5 percent from beyond the arc in averaging 5.0 threes per game. OUAZ forces 23.6 turnovers and gets 12.2 steals and 0.8 blocks.
OUAZ opponents are scoring 67.5 points per game and shooting 37.9 percent. The Spirit hold the opposition to 20.4 percent from beyond the arc while forcing 24.5 turnovers per game in getting 13.5 steals per contest.
Bailey Osmer currently leads the Spirit in scoring at 16.4 points per game. That ranks tied for fourth in the GSAC. Osmer has scored in double figures in all five games and is coming off a season high 22 at BenU Mesa on Saturday. She is also the team leader with 34 rebounds and 15 steals while tying for the lead with 16 assists.
Alexis Smith ranks seventh in the conference in scoring at 15.6 points per game. He four games in double figures includes a school record 31 points in the home win over BenU Mesa on November 8. Smith also has 16 assists to go with 27 rebounds and eight steals.
Jorie Mayfield has played in three games and is scoring 11.3 points per game and grabbing 6.3 rebounds per outing. She recorded 18 points and seven rebounds at Westcliff and then posted 14 points and eight rebounds at BenU Mesa.
ABOUT THE MASTER'S
The Master's makes its first trip to Surprise ranked 14th in the NAIA poll and holding a 4-2 overall record. The Mustangs average 79.7 points per game and shoot 45.3 percent from the field. Stephanie Soares is third in the GSAC in scoring at 17.0 points per game.
ABOUT WESTMONT
Westmont is ranked No. 8 in the NAIA poll and sit at 4-2 on the season. The Warriors score 69.8 points per game and average 7.3 3-pointers. Kaitlin Larson leads the team in scoring at 15.0 points per game.
LOOKING AHEAD
OUAZ will continue its five-game home stretch next week with a GSAC game against crosstown rival Arizona Christian on Saturday, December 8. The game will tip at noon from Willow Canyon High School.
