Women’s Basketball vs. South Florida | Game Preview

Privateers Face bulls in Non-Conference Clash Seeking First Win

The New Orleans privateers women’s basketball team aims to break a six-game losing streak on Sunday, as they travel to Tampa, Florida, to face the South Florida Bulls at 1 p.m. CST. this marks the Privateers’ return to non-conference play after a tough Southland Conference opener.

The privateers (0-6, 0-1) suffered a 79-66 defeat to the HCU huskies the day before Thanksgiving. Despite the loss, several players showcased promising performances. Jayla Kimbrough led the offense with 14 points, while Mikayla Johnson contributed 11 points and Lauren Banks secured a career-high 10 or more rebounds in a Privateer uniform.

Kimbrough’s 14-point performance was her 30th career game reaching double figures, building on her previous 15 such games last season and 14 in 2023-24. Heading into the weekend, Kimbrough boasts 639 career points as a Privateer.

Did you know? – Jayla Kimbrough needs just 361 more points to reach 1,000 career points as a Privateer. She is a key offensive threat for the team, consistently scoring in double figures.

A radiant spot for New Orleans has been their aggressive defense. The team has recorded double-digit steals in four of their first six games,including 13 against HCU. Currently averaging 11 steals per game, the Privateers are significantly outpacing their 2024-25 season average of 8.69. Shanihya Brown currently leads the Southland Conference in steals, averaging an impressive 3.0 steals per game.

Freshman Mikayla Johnson is making an immediate impact, shooting 59.5 percent from the field through her first six collegiate games. This efficiency ranks her third in the Southland Conference, trailing only Sarah Gatwech of East texas A&M and Cha Gardner of Stephen F. Austin. Johnson has successfully connected on 22 of her 37 shot attempts.

This contest represents the sixth all-time meeting between South Florida and New Orleans.The series is historically close, with the Privateers holding a narrow 3-2 lead, but the teams haven’t faced each other since 1990.

Pro tip: – Focusing on forcing turnovers, like the Privateers do with their high steal rate, can create easy scoring opportunities and disrupt the opponent’s offensive rhythm.

Scouting the Opponent: South Florida Bulls

South Florida enters the game as the defending American Athletic Conference postseason champions. Last season, the Bulls achieved a 23-win season and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they were ultimately defeated by Tennessee in the first round.

This season, South Florida currently holds a 4-3 record, with victories over FIU, Long Island, Duke, and Harvard. Their losses came against Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Princeton.

The Bulls are led by edyn Battle averaging double figures in points,led by Edyn battle at 14.2 points per game.

Reader question: – What adjustments do you think the Privateers need to make defensively to contain South Florida’s offense and secure their first win?

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Follow the Privateers on social media: @PrivateersWBB on Twitter/X, @PrivateersWBB on Instagram, and /PrivateersWBB on Facebook.

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