COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College women's basketball team will take on Limestone College on Thursday in a special 2 p.m. matinee non-conference contest in the Benjamin E. Mays HRC Arena.
In the spirit of the holidays, Benedict College is offering free admission to everyone who brings in a new, unwrapped toy. The toy collection will be donated to the James R. Clark Memorial Sickle Cell Foundation Giving Tree. The regular admission of $8 will be charged for anyone not donating a toy.
The Sickle Cell Foundation Giving Tree is a Christmas project sponsored by the Foundation and Prisma Health which serves children and their siblings who are affected by sickle cell. Children in Columbia and rural counties of South Carolina are given toys that are collected at Prisma Health and surrounding schools and businesses in the area. The goal is to collect 500 or more toys so that every child can receive three or more gifts.
The Lady Tigers, currently ranked ninth in the D2SIDA South Region media poll, are 8-2 overall and have won three games in a row. The Lady Tiger rank third in the nation in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 31.2 percent. Benedict also currently ranks third in rebounds per game and rebound margin.
Ay'Anna Bey ranks fifth in the nation with five double-doubles, while
Shanaissa White ranks 12
th in the nation in rebounds per game.
Limestone comes into the contest with a 7-3 record and are ranked ninth in the D2SIDA Southeast Region media poll. The Saints rank 8
th in the nation in 3-pointers per game, connecting on nearly 10 3-pointers per game. Schekinah Bimpa is the team's leading scorer at 15.6 points per game. Reagan McCray is the team's top 3-point shooter with 31 made 3-pointers.
After Thursday afternoon's contest, both the men and women's teams will be back in action for one final time before the Christmas break, taking on Lane College on Saturday. The Lane Lady Dragons are the defending SIAC women's basketball champions. That game will tip off at 1 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 3 p.m.
