ALAMOSA, Colo. — The Adams State University women's basketball team will hit the road this weekend as they are set to participate in the Comfort Inn Presents Ashbrook Classic.
Adams State played two exhibition games already. In the first game, three different players,
Kayla Harris,
Laura Gutierrez and
Kaitlyn Bell each finished with 15 points. Harris and Bell finished with double doubles as they had 14 and 13 rebounds each, respectively. Harris was just two steals away from a triple double as she finished with eight.
The Grizzlies also are fresh off an 86-60 exhibition win over Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Up first, the Grizzlies play in Lawton, Okla. when they will play Cameron University on Friday, November 12th, at 5:30 p.m. They will then travel to Wichita Falls, Texas to take on Midwestern State University at 6:00 p.m.
Adams State has only played Cameron University once in their history. The last game was on Nov. 9, 2019 in a neutral site game in Stephenville, Texas. In that game the Grizzlies fell 76-66 despite 19 points from Ally McKenzie and 12 from
Laura Gutierrez.
Friday's game will be the season opener for the Aggies as they will play UCCS on Saturday night.
Cameron was selected to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference preseason poll. The Aggies had a breakout 2020-21 campaign, going 11-8 and 10-6 in league games on their way to an appearance in both the LSC Tournament and NCAA Division II South Central Region semifinal.
Cameron brings back one of the best players in the LSC in Maighan Hedge. Last season, the fourth-year guard averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while leading the Aggies on and off the court. She racked up multiple accolades including LSC Offensive Player of the Week, First Team All-LSC, Academic Player of the Year, and CoSIDA Academic All-American and All-Region. Joining Hedge in the backcourt is All-LSC selection Stephanie Peterson and All-Freshman team member Katie King. CU also brings back forward Whitney Outon, who was All-LSC honorable mention.
The next team the Grizzlies play in the Ashbrook Classic is Midwestern State University. Since 2013 the Grizzlies and Mustangs have met three times with Midwestern State holding a 2-1 record. Back in 2013, Adams State won 64-56. The last time the Grizzlies have seen Midwestern State, was back in 2016 and the Grizzlies lost 72-55.
Midwestern State was picked fifth in the 2021 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Mustangs return 10 letterwinners off an 11-7 squad that finished the 2020-21 season in the quarterfinal round of the LSC Postseason Tournament.
Morgan Lenahan led MSU with conference best 15.8 points per game and added 5.4 defensive rebounds per game. The 2020-21 LSC Newcomer of the Year shot better than 40 percent from the field and from beyond the three-point arc. Sophomore guard Frances Kin, a second-team All-LSC performer, averaged 11.2 points and four assists per game.
Senior Hannah Reynolds gained honorable mention All-LSC averaging 8.8 points per game. The forward picked up a conference fourth best 21 blocked shots.
Adams State will close out the pre-Thanksgiving portion of the season on Tuesday, Nov. 16 when they host Northern New Mexico in a home game. They will tip off against the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. The Eagles will enter the game with at least a 3-2 record.
Adams State will then have a 10-day hiatus as they are set to travel to Grand Junction, Colo. on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27 to take on Montana Western and SAGU American Indian College in the Holiday Inn-Airport Classic.
