JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven women's basketball team will prepare for its final three non-conference games of the 2016-17 season with matchups this week against Birmingham-Southern, Millsaps and Covenant to ring in the new year, beginning on Wednesday evening. 

The Blazers are coming off a 75-65 victory at Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 17, and the Green and Gold are currently 4-4 on the season. 

Coming off a phenomenal Abilene trip, Sierra Pittman totaled 50 points, including a career-best 27 against the Cowgirls, while shooting 17-for-28 (61 percent) from the field. The senior, who averaged 8.5 points per game after the Blazers win against Centenary on Dec. 10, is now averaging 12.6 per game this season, 13th in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). 

On the season, the Mobile, Ala. native is averaging 51.5 percent (34-for-66), while averaging 26.4 minutes per game. 

Two of the Blazers' three New Year's games will be inside Rugg Arena, while the contest against the Majors will be up Riverside Drive at the Hangar Dome. 

The Green and Gold will take on the Panthers of Birmingham-Southern on Wednesday at 5 p.m., and tip off against Millsaps will be on Thursday at 5 p.m. To wrap up the week, Belhaven will take on Covenant on Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip. 

Preview: Birmingham-Southern
The Panthers (4-5) will come into Jackson with a three-game winning streak. BSC is coming off a 61-58 victory against Rust on Friday, Dec. 16 at Bill Battle Coliseum in Birmingham. Against the ASC, the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) members defeated Louisiana College on Nov. 22, but were defeated by Mary Hardin-Baylor and Texas Tyler on Nov. 26 and 28, respectively. 

Through the Panthers' nine games, Emilee Olsen is the only player averaging double figures in points. The freshman is averaging 11.2 points per game, while also leading the team in rebounds with 8.3 per game. 

In last year's matchup, the Blazers, who trailed 14-3 after the first quarter, rallied to cut the deficit to a 49-48 score with 3:15 remaining in regulation, but the eventual SAA Tournament Champions held off the Blazers, 59-50, on Dec. 15.

Preview: Millsaps
The Green and Gold opened the 2016-17 season with a crucial 72-68 victory over their Riverside Rival. With the Blazers leading 58-47 through three quarters of play, but the Majors rallied to tie the game at 68 with 42 seconds remaining in regulation. The Blazers responded, scoring the final four points of the contest thanks to a go-ahead jumper by Tajee Harper with 15 seconds remaining, followed by two Harper free throws on the Blazers' next possession. 

Since then, the Majors (5-4) have won four of their last five games. The Majors' three-game winning streak was snapped with a 79-54 loss to Austin College on Dec. 18 in their last game. 

This is the first game at home for Millsaps since Dec. 3, and they are 2-1 inside the Hangar Dome in 2016-17. 

Kala-Jewel Freeman, who scored a game-high 25 points against the Blazers back on November, currently leads the team with 15.6 points per game, while averaging 6.8 boards per contest. 

Kim Klunk, who is averaging 22 minutes per game, leads the team on the glass with 7.7 rebounds per game.  

Preview: Covenant
Covenant will be traveling to Jackson to take on the Majors on Dec. 30 before coming to Rugg Arena on New Year's Eve. The Scots will ride to Mississippi with a 5-2 record. 

Just like Birmingham-Southern, the Scots are coming off a victory against Rust, defeating the Bearcats, 80-70. 

Covenant has four players averaging double figures in the points column this season, led by Joanna Smith, who is averaging 12.1 points per game. Aleigha Williams, in 21 minutes per, has totaled an average of 11.6 per game. Kaley Hallmark and Emma Grimes are averaging 10.5 and 10.4 points, respectively. 

Smith currently leads the glass production for the Scots, with 7.1 boards per game, while freshman Aleksandreja Kulits is grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game in seven total games. 

BU is 0-1 all-time against Covenant, with their lone meeting coming on Jan. 6, 2001. The Blazers were downed by the Scots, 79-68, at Lookout Mountain, Ga. 

Following the games this week, the Blazers will open their 2017 portion of their schedule stepping back into ASC play. The Green and Gold will host Howard Payne and Sul Ross State inside Rugg Arena on Jan. 5 and 7, respectively, to conclude their matchups against the ASC West. 

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