Tip-Off: Chicago State women's basketball closes out a four-game homestand Saturday afternoon at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center with its annual Homecoming game against Great West Conference rival NJIT beginning at 2 p.m.
Scouting Chicago State: Chicago State brings a 4-18 overall record into Saturday's Homecoming battle which includes a 2-2 mark in the Great West standings. The Cougars opened the month of February with a close non-conference battle against Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday night but fell to the visiting RedHawks by a score of 78-77. Senior guard/forward Janay Dockery (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King), who scored 17 points against IUN to become the eighth member of CSU's Division I 1,000-point club, leads CSU with 18.5 points and a GWC-leading 3.2 steals per game while connecting on a team-best 80 percent from the free throw line. Freshman forward Paris Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Pattonville) has amassed a team-best 5.7 rebounds a game while ranking second on the team in scoring (8.8 ppg) and steals (2.5 spg). Senior guard/forward Natalie Marlowe (South Milwaukee, WI/South Milwaukee) currently leads the Great West in assists with 4.2 helpers per game and is tied with Williams for second in team scoring at 8.8 points per contest.
Scouting NJIT: NJIT is currently sporting an 8-13 season record into today's contest and has tallied a 2-2 ledger against GWC competition. Last weekend, the Highlanders dropped a pair of conference games at home to conference-leading North Dakota (65-55) and Utah Valley (61-54). NJIT is led by junior guard Rayven Johnson's 11.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, while freshman guard Denisa Domiterova is second in scoring at 9.1 points a game and leads the team with a .846 free throw percentage. Junior guard Melanie Griffin has produced a team-leading two assists per contest and freshman center Nicole Maticka is the top shot blocker for the Highlanders with an average of 2.6 a game.
Series History: Chicago State currently holds a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series with NJIT and has won three of the last four games since the 2009-10 season. The Cougars won both meetings over the Highlanders last season, including an 83-42 win on Jan. 22, 2011 in Chicago.
Balance and Options: Five CSU players scored in double figures in Wednesday's contest against Indiana University Northwest, led by senior Janay Dockery (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King)'s 17 points. Senior Natalie Marlowe (South Milwaukee, WI/South Milwaukee) added 16 points, while freshman Tierra Williams (Detroit, Mich./Lathrup) and junior Eliz Kumral (Alanya, Turkey/Illinois Central College) produced season-high point totals of 15 and 11, respectively. Freshman Paris Williams (St. Louis, Mo./Pattonville) rounded out the quartet with 10 points.
A Grand Time: Senior Janay Dockery (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King) joined the exclusive CSU 1,000-Point Club after her 17-point performance against Indiana University Northwest on Wednesday. The Detroit native scored her 1,000th point at the 5:27 mark of the first half on a three-pointer and is now ranked seventh on CSU's Division I all-time scoring list with 1,010 points.
Homecoming Success: Since the opening of the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center in the fall of 2007, Chicago State has produced a 4-0 record on Homecoming. Last year, the Cougars defeated North Dakota by a score of 78-57.
Up Next: The Green and White hits the road for a pair of Great West Conference games beginning on Thursday, Feb. 9 at Preseason GWC favorite North Dakota with the opening tip set for 7 p.m.
