FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Indiana Tech women's basketball opens Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) play on Saturday when they take on second ranked Davenport in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 
Indiana Tech (2-2, 0-0 WHAC)
 
Saturday, Nov. 14, 1 p.m. – at No. 2 Davenport (2-2, 1-0 WHAC) – Grand Rapids, Michigan (DU Student Center)
 
Following the Warriors: Links to live video and stats will be available at IndianaTechWarriors.com. You can also follow @INTechWBB and @INTechWarriors on Twitter to catch the action.
 
Last Time Out: The Warriors evened their record to 2-2 as they defeated Grace, 80-57, on Wednesday evening at the Schaefer Center. Kendall Knapke and Taylor Carver led all scorers with 16 points each and both pulled down six rebounds and blocked a shot. Knapke would shoot 4-5 from behind the arc as well. Baylee Rinehart added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Haley Cook dished out a game-high seven assists.
 
Head Coach Jessie Biggs: Now in fourth season at the head of Indiana Tech, Jessie Biggs has amassed 44 wins through her first three years, including a 19-13 mark in 2013. That season, Biggs led the Warriors to a 14-7 mark in Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) action and a fourth place finish. The Warriors would defeat Aquinas in the quarterfinals before falling to top seed and No. 2 Davenport in the semifinals. The Northern Iowa alum has had five players on the WHAC All-Academic Team, five WHAC All-Conference selections, two NAIA All-Americans, two NAIA Scholar-Athlete and one WHAC All-Newcomer Team selection.
 
Scouting the Opposition: Davenport – The Panthers have faced off with three teams ranked in the Top 25 so far this year, falling to No. 11 Cardinal Stritch, 67-62, and No. 17 Huntington in overtime, 67-64. They have won their last two games in a row though, knocking off No. 20 Saint Francis, 66-63, and walloped Marygrove in their conference opener on Wednesday, 130-50.
 
Series History: Davenport – Tech is 1-25 against the Panthers since 2005, with their lone victory coming on Feb. 2, 2005.
 
New Rules, Same Game: With the switch from halves to quarters and other rule changes in the NCAA, the NAIA has adopted those same rules. Instead of two 20-minute halves, teams will now play four 10-minute quarters. Teams will reach the bonus once its opponents have committed five fouls in a given quarter. 1-and-1 free-throw scenarios have been eliminated in favor of two shots for all common fouls. And teams will now have the option to advance the ball to the frontcourt in the final 59.9 seconds of the game.
 
Floor General: Senior point guard Rayana Villalpando has been steady as the Warriors floor general, averaging three assists per game while logging over 32 minutes a night. She also averages just under 10 points a game while pulling down four and a half rebounds a contest.
 
Stepping Outside: Freshman forward Kendall Knapke has provided a spark for Tech in her first three collegiate games, averaging 11.3 points a game, good for second on the team while pulling down over five rebounds a game. Her three-point proficiency however, makes her a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. She is nine for 15 from behind the arc this season, ranking in a tie for 17^th in the country in three-point percentage (.600).
 
Stacking Up Against the Competition: The Warriors will take on eight teams who are ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll. Tech has already faced off with T-No. 11 Purdue Calumet and T-No. 9 Marian, and faces No. 2 Davenport on Nov. 14. The Orange and Black travel to No. 17 Huntington on Dec. 19 and hosts crosstown rival and 20th ranked Saint Francis on Dec. 29. Other WHAC opponents that made the preseason rankings include No. 21 Madonna and Cornerstone.
 
Poll Thoughts: Tech was picked to finish fifth in the WHAC Coaches' Preseason Poll, receiving 83 votes to finish in a tie with Lawrence Tech. The Warriors finished in sixth last season with a mark of 11-11 in the conference.
 
Staying Close to Home: Freshman Kendall Knapke didn't have to look far away when making her college decision. The Heritage High School product decided to stay in Fort Wayne when she signed with the Warriors last winter. The 5'11" forward averaged 10.5 points per game and 5.3 rebounds in her final prep season with the Patriots and is expected to start right away for the Orange and Black.
 
Carving it Up Again: Senior Taylor Carver leads the team in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg) and is hitting 55.3% of her shots from the floor, good for 41^st in the nation. The WHAC All-Conference Honorable Mention honoree a season ago has given the Warriors a dynamic 1-2 punch inside with the emergence of freshman Kendall Knapke.