DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern women's basketball will open the 2017-18 season at home when it hosts the GAC/MIAA Challenge Nov. 10-11, facing Central Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by a 5:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday with Northeastern state.
SE takes on Central Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and will face Northeastern State at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
"We are very excited about our team this year," said head coach
Darin Grover, "We have one of the best players in the conference returning in Katie Webb,
Sa'Liesha Hunter returns as our point guard, and
Emem David returns as a post player. This gives us 3 out of 5 starters returning in very important positions. I think if we can have our other returners step into the positions vacated by Wallace and Potter, we should have a solid team."
SE heads into the season picked to finish fourth in the poll and finished behind Arkansas Tech, while Harding was the favorite to win the league, earning 11 of the 12 first place votes, with Southwestern Oklahoma State picked second.
The Storm are coming off a 17-10 season a year ago and finished tied for third in the conference standings, and head into the 2017-18 season looking to replace two of its top three scorers, including all-conference performer
Olivia Potter.
"Courtney Brady, Alix Robinson, and Tracy Johnson will all see significant time at all of the guard positions," said Grover. "These will be important with replacing the experience that we lost. All of these ladies played important minutes for us a year ago, we expect them to contribute at a high level."
"Ariannah Kemp," he continued, "Returns as perhaps our most efficient and explosive player. Ariannah is going to need to play more minutes for us to be a good basketball team."
The Storm returns its top scorer from last season and All-GAC honoree in Webb, who turned in 13.5 ppg and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per outing during her sophomore season.
The Storm also returns starters Hunter and David, with Hunter dishing out nearly four assists per game while scoring 7.6 per contest, while David was adding 6.9 ppg and hauling in 7.3 rebounds per game.
"Our newcomers," said Grover, "Who are all freshmen, are one of the most talented groups that we have had in here. All five have showed us in practice just how talented they are, specifically I expect Katie Branam and Taten Hyde to battle for playing time immediately. Both of these ladies are skilled and strong and know the game of basketball."
"Our goal," he added, "Is always first to win the regular season GAC title, if we accomplish that it will put us in the running for a NCAA bid. The GAC Tournament Championship is also always a goal."
