WARRIORS TAKE ON CORNERSTONE IN GRAND RAPIDS

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Rochester (7-7, 4-4) will make the three-hour trip up the glove to take on the Cornerstone Golden Eagles (7-6, 5-3) on Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 5:30 p.m. Rochester will look to overcome a few setbacks and stay ahead in the WHAC Tournament race.

THREE KEY THINGS

LAST TIME…

Around a year ago, the Warriors and Golden Eagles faced off in a hardwood classic, with Rochester escaping a grueling 2OT contest with a 117-107 win. The victory was one of the highest-scoring games in the history of the WHAC. The following matchup would be just as anxiety-inducing, with Rochester pulling out an 85-81 victory at home.

DOMINANT INTERIOR PRESENCE

Junior center Stephanie Ainsworth leads the Golden Eagles inside, averaging 12.5 points while pulling down 8.2 rebounds per game. Ainsworth is the definition of a two-way big, utilizing solid footwork and positioning on the offensive end while stifling opposing bigs with 1.8 blocks a contest.

Don't discount the Golden Eagle guards, though - Jaxi Long and Olivia Kubik are a dynamic scoring duo, combining for 28.4 points a game thanks to efficient shooting.

WARRIORS LOOK TO RUN THE FLOOR

After a few tough losses, the Warriors will look to get back to what works - controlled chaos. The team averages 15.0 steals per game in wins, blitzing opposing ball handlers and getting easy looks in transition.

COACH'S CORNER

Head Coach Jared Ocampo had this to say on facing Cornerstone:

"Cornerstone is a good team with a good amount of offensive talent. They are loaded with shooters on the perimeter, and they have a tremendous post presence in Ainsworth. She is a rebounding machine and finishes well around the rim.

We will have to do our work early in the post as we look to take away her post presence while making sure we run their guards off the perimeter and not give up easy looks from the three."

SPORTS INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT

Rochester is undefeated in the all-time series against Cornerstone at 8-0.

AROUND THE CONFERENCE

Two teams remain undefeated at the top - Concordia and #RV Indiana Tech. Rochester is currently tied with Aquinas and Madonna at fifth, with all three teams at 4-4.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics