WB2K23: Opening Night 2

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Monday, Nov. 7, is the opening night of the season for NCAA women's basketball. Until then, enjoy a peak of some of the games and players to watch as we await the tip-off the 2022-23 season.

Central Baptist College vs La Tech

La Tech starts its season with what most of the basketball world will call a tune-up match when it hosts Central Baptist College. Keiunna Walker is a 5-6 senior guard who is back for her fifth and final collegiate season. The Lonoke, Arkansas native has scored 1,403 points in 108 games. Last year was the best of her career as Walker averaged 18.9 points per game. Walker went on a tear in the Conference USA tournament with an average of 25.3 points in three games. In one of the greatest individual performances of the 2021-22 season by any player, Walker recorded 27 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a double-overtime win over Rice. She also matched a season high of five steals that game.

Central Baptist College is an NAIA institution with a record of 1-0. The Mustangs won 83-74 against Baptist Bible. Central Baptist College was led by Lydia York who scored 22 points on 58.3 percent overall shooting. The 5-3 guard from Conway, Arkansas canned five of her nine three-point shot attempts. That was York's career high as she averaged just 3.3 points per game in only 9.9 minutes per game as a freshman last season.

Cleveland State at No. 8 Iowa State

Amele Ngwafang looks to showcase her defensive prowess against one of the top teams in the NCAA. Cleveland State travels to face Iowa State in the season opener. Ngwafang started her collegiate career at Radford where she played her first two seasons. In 2020-21, she started her run at Cleveland State. The 6-0 forward from Silver Spring, Maryland played 30 games, 28 as a reserve, while blocking a career best 35 shots for an average of 1.2 blocked shots per contest. Ngwafang's biggest block party was a five-rejection performance against Detroit Mercy. She also posted 12 rebounds and 12 points in that contest. Ngwafang averaged 7.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. She scored a season high of 25 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Wright State. Cleveland State is coming off of a 23-9 season. The Vikings advanced to the championship game of the Women's Basketball Invitational where they loss to Saint Mary's.

Iowa State point guard Emily Ryan is back for action. One of the elite floor leaders in the NCAA, the 5-11 guard from Clafflin, Kansas averaged 13.1 points and was fourth in the NCAA with a clip of 7.1 assists per game. Ryan has six games with 10 or more assists. She dished out a season's best 17 assists with 14 points against TCU. Against West Virginia, Ryan dropped 16 dimes with 10 points, which followed a 12-point, 15-assist effort against Prairie View. Over her career she has collected 413 assists in 63 games. Iowa State finished the season at 28-7, where the season ended after a Sweet 16 loss in the NCAA Tournament to Creighton.