Oct. 16, 2009

The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack basketball team officially began workouts Friday at the William R. Johnson Coliseum. With the season a little less than a month away, the Ladyjacks enter the 2009-10 campaign with one of the league's more veteran squads. SFA head coach Lee Ann Riley, who is entering her ninth season at the helm, returns 11 letterwinners, and all five starters from last year's 15-14 team that went 10-6 in Southland Conference play.

"We are blessed to have basically our whole team returning," said Riley. "We lost one letterwinner (Jessica Gaines), but the rest our team returns intact. I'm proud of our how girls have taken care of business during the offseason. They have returned focused and ready to go. "

The Ladyjacks will be led lone senior Whitney Cormier. The Fort Worth, Texas, native asserted herself as one of the top players in the conference last season averaging 12.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Following the season Cormier was honored by the conference earning first-team All-Southland Conference honors.

The Ladyjacks will also look to sophomore Tammara Marion to pick up where she left off last season. A 5-6 guard from Houston, Marion was one of the top freshmen in the conference leading the team, and finishing among the league leaders with 42 three-pointers. Marion connected on 38 percent of three-point attempts, and was second on the team averaging 9.3 points per game.

The rest of the Ladyjacks returning roster consists of Schera Sampson (Sophomore-Forward), Cambria Smith (Sophomore-Guard), Ebony Alexander (Junior-Guard), Courtney Conwright (Sophomore-Guard), Decreasha Goodner (Junior-Guard), Toni Davis (Junior-Forward), Jordan Ford (Junior-Forward), Amina Sawyer (Sophomore-Post) and Chantol Drennan (Junior-Post). The SFA newcomers are Chelsea Foy (Victoria, Texas -Guard) and Brittany Hardy (San Antonio, Texas-Guard).

The Ladyjacks open the 2009-10 campaign with their first of two exhibitions games Monday, Nov. 2, against St. Mary's (TX). The Ladyjacks open the regular season Saturday, Nov. 14, when they host North Texas.

-SFA-