BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae women's basketball (7-4, 4-2 CC) kicked off the New Year with its first win over Francis Marion since 1994. With their seventh win of the season, the Bobcats match their 2024-25 win total after finishing 7-18 during Coach
Lauren Galvani's first season in charge. The Bobcats are having their best start to a season since 2002-03 when the team finished 20-10.
In 2025-26, the Lady Bobcats are led by
Nadiya Hairston (Junior, Winston Salem, NC.) and
Kaylee Carson (Sophomore, Charlotte, NC.), both averaging 17 points per contest. The duo currently ranks as the 3rd & 4th leading scorers on a per game basis in Conference Carolinas, and 57th & 58th across NCAA DII.
Hairston ranks 7th in the nation at the free-throw line, shooting 91.5% on 136 visits to the charity stripe. The Junior Guard leads Conference Carolinas in Assist/Turnover ratio (40th NCAA DII).
Entering 2026 the Bobcats lead Conference Carolinas in Turnover Margin (12th NCAA DII), Turnovers Forced Per Game (18th NCAA DII), Steals Per Game (26th NCAA DII), Scoring Offense (32nd NCAA DII), Free Throws Made Per Game (12th NCAA DII) and Free Throw Percentage (23rd NCAA DII).
Returning players have made key contributions during the first half of the season.
Sandra Mason (Senior, Chesapeake, VA.) has provided stellar guard play for the Bobcats averaging 7.5 points, 2.6 assists, and 2 steals. Mason is shooting 50% from behind arc (17-34) including a four-game stretch where she made 11-14 from three-point range.
Junior guards
Shayne Burton,
Kirsten Watt &
Layla Tillery continue to lead by example as upperclassman. Burton, after earning her first career start in 2025-26, has excelled in key defensive assignments including holding the Conference Carolinas Leader in Made 3-PT attempts to just 3pts (0-4 3FG) in the Bobcats victory over Southern Wesleyan. Watt has continued to build on her stellar career in Green & Gold. The junior earns major minutes for the Lady Bobcats and provides a consistent threat from behind the arc while often guarding opposition scoring leaders. Tillery has also paced the Bobcats on both ends of the floor, coming up with momentum shifting plays during several games in the season thus far.
Junior transfer
Sydney Gueterman (Charlotte, NC.) has made an immediate impact since arriving in Banner Elk. While providing a physical presence in the paint (4.5 RPG) she has connected 11 times from 3-point range while averaging 7.5PPG. Gueterman was named the Week Five Conference Carolinas Player of the Week following a 21-point outing against Southern Wesleyan where she also pulled in six rebounds. True Freshman,
Camryn Lee (Wake Forest, NC.) leads the Bobcats in Field Goal Percentage (46%) through eleven games. In her first career start against Tusculum, Lee chipped in 20 points (8-14 FG) and 9 rebounds in 19 minutes of play. Throughout the first half of the season she has matched up against the most physical players in the region providing depth and intensity at the position. Another new face excelling in her first semester at Lees-McRae is freshman Braelyn Stillwell (Connelly Springs, NC.). The former East Burke guard is averaging 17 minutes per game for the Bobcats and currently ranks 3rd on the team in assists while averaging 5 points per contest.
Galvani's squad return to action tomorrow evening where they take on Converse University. Tip-off at Williams Gymnasium is set for 5:00PM.
