THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University Women's basketball team will begin the 2021 portion of its schedule Thursday, as the team travels to Miami Gardens, Fla. to face Florida Memorial in The Sun Conference action.
 
TU (0-5, 0-5 TSC) comes off a 68-47 defeat at the hands of #16 Southeastern just three weeks ago.  Despite the Lady Night Hawks' shortcomings, Senior Forward Destiny Reed has been a silver lining in the team's play in December; in TU's last three games, Reed has averaged 17.3 points a game, shooting 53.7% from the field, and averaging nearly ten boards a game.  Senior Guard Alisha Clayton has also seen strides from her play; the Gainesville, Fla. native averages a double-double in Thomas' previous two contests (10 points with 13 rebounds).  Overall, Clayton's Rebounds per Game average on the season is second in The Sun Conference (10.2).
 
The high-powered offense for Florida Memorial (4-4, 4-3 TSC) has been a conundrum for team's game plans.  FMU leads the conference in Scoring per Game (74.9) despite shooting just over 38% from the field and 27% long range.  Part of the team's scoring success comes from newcomer Keaynna Tolbert.  The Junior Guard has had a breakout season for the Lions, leading the conference in scoring with 22.25 points a game. 
 
In order to maximize chances for a victory Thursday night, the Hunter Green & White will need to be cautious of the team's possessions.  FMU's opponents this season average more than 26 turnovers a game and ranks tenth in NAIA in Steals per Game (15).  The Orange & Blue's defense has been an Achilles heel, allowing 41.3% of shots from the field and 33% long range. 

"The game plan is simple," said Head Coach Myron Brown.  "Defend, Rebound, and Score.  Until we get consistency in those key areas, we will continue to struggle finishing games.  Florida Memorial is a well coached team with dynamic guard play.  We must defend in order to win." 
 
Coach Brown had a productive Winter Break, signing three players to join the Lady Night Hawks effective immediately.  The additions will provide some depth to an already depleted Lady Night Hawks roster.
 
Tipoff at the Wellness Center is scheduled for 6 p.m.  Links to live coverage of the game is listed below:
 
Live Stats                                           Live Video
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU women's basketball teams by following them via Twitter @NightHawksWBKB.