OUAZ SPIRIT (0-1, 0-0 GSAC) at SAGU AIC WARRIORS
Game Details	Friday, January 15 • 6 p.m. (Arizona) • Surprise, Ariz. • Faith Arena Saturday, January 16 • 7 p.m. (Arizona) • Surprise, Ariz. • Faith Arena
Video Stream	ouazspirit.com/digital
OTT App	NAIA Network (Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku)
Live Stats	ouazspirit.com/sidearmstats/wbball

The OUAZ women's basketball team has played one game in the past 320 days, but will triple that total this weekend at Faith Arena. SAGU American-Indian College will travel northwest to Surprise to take on the Spirit on Friday and Saturday.

Golden State Athletic Conference play was scheduled to begin on Friday and Saturday at Life Pacific, but due to COVID-19 concerns, LPU's women's basketball team opted out of the season. OUAZ will now have a five-game homestand that starts with the two game series against SAGU AIC, and will end with a matchup against the Warriors on January 26.

Friday will be the first time since February 29, 2020 that the Spirit will take its home floor in game action. The team is looking to end its four-game home losing streak, which started on February 8 of last season.

While OUAZ did not have an ideal end to its conference season in 2019-2020, the team has always put together strong performances in non-conference play. Since joining the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) for the 2018-2019 season, the Spirit have compiled a 13-4 record in contests outside of conference competition.

The Spirit had not played SAGU AIC prior to last season, but OUAZ has held the advantage in the short series history. OUAZ took all three games last season, winning by an average margin of 28 points.

Sophomore Natasa Radovic shines when she matches up with the Warriors. She averaged 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals in the meetings last season, finishing as the Spirit's leading scorer each game.

Radovic is really familiar with SAGU AIC, but she is one of the few on this season's roster. Heading into this weekend's matchups, only four players put on an OUAZ uniform last season.

There have been a lot of challenges in the way of the Spirit, but they have worked through them valiantly. Pandemic restrictions and the issues that come along with it have hindered the ability to gel together in game situations, but they are also adjusting to a coaching change. Deon Thomas was named the interim head coach of the program on December 4, and will be searching for his first collegiate head coaching win this weekend.

Thomas came close in his team's first game on December 15. The Spirit trailed by as much as 15 in the first half, but cut the deficit down to two points in the final 90 seconds. Thomas said that he liked the way his team competed in the final three quarters of the contest, but OUAZ will be looking to have a strong start of its own all weekend long.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no spectators will be allowed all weekend. For more information on the women's basketball team, visit ouazspirit.com/sports/womens-basketball.