AMERICUS - Georgia Southwestern State University head women's basketball coach Kelly Britsky has released the program's 2015-16 schedule that features 12 games at home, 12 on the road and two at neutral sites.
Southwestern opens the season with an exhibition game at NCAA Division I member College of Charleston on Nov. 4.
The regular season tips off with a pair of neutral site games at Columbus State in the Fifth Annual Peach Belt Conference-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Challenge. GSW faces Albany State on the 13th and Fort Valley State the following afternoon.
The Lady Hurricanes travel to Carrollton on Nov. 18 for their first meeting with West Georgia since the 2007-08 season.
NAIA member Southeastern University (Fla.) visits Americus for an inaugural matchup and the home opener on the 21st.
December gets kicked off with the second all-time contest against Coastal Georgia. The 2015 edition will be played on the 1st in the Storm Dome. Trips to Emmanuel (Ga.) and Fort Valley State ensue to complete the non-conference portion of the 2015-16 schedule.
Peach Belt Conference play opens with a visit by Georgia Regents on the 17th and the Lady Hurricanes close the 2015 calendar year with a cross-division PBC game against Lander in the Dome on the 19th.
GSW returns from winter break to face three consecutive road contests. The Lady Hurricanes travel to Montevallo on Jan. 2, Georgia College two days later and finally Columbus State on the 6th.
Young Harris stops by the Storm Dome on Jan. 9 before the Lady Hurricanes make a midweek trip to Flagler College on the 13th. USC Aiken will serve as a weekend guest on Jan. 16 and trips to Armstrong (Jan. 18) and UNC Pembroke (Jan. 23) follow for the Lady Hurricanes.
GSW closes out January with home games against Clayton State (Jan. 18) and Columbus State (Jan. 31) as part of a three-game homestand that concludes on Feb. 3 against Montevallo.
Trips to Clayton State (Feb. 6) and North Georgia (Feb. 10) precede a home game against Francis Marion on the 13th, and the final road game comes on the 17th at Young Harris.
Georgia College will serve as the Lady Hurricanes' homecoming opponent on Feb. 20 and senior day on the 24th against North Georgia wraps up the regular season.
The PBC Tournament begins on Saturday, Feb. 27, with the top four teams in each of the two divisions qualifying for the postseason event. First round games will be hosted by the higher seeds. The semifinals and finals will be held Mar. 5-6 at the highest remaining seed out of the women's west division with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA National Tournament.
The Lady Hurricanes will have a new look this season as they must replace four of their top five scorers from last year's 14-12 squad. The lone returner from the group is senior Yvonna Dunkley (9.9 ppg). Dunkley led the team in 3-pointers with 47 and ranked third in points and fourth in rebounds (4.9 rpg). Fellow seniors Ja'Quasha Sesler (6.7 ppg), Kenyona Armstrong (4.0 ppg), Keishundra Jackson (1.3 rpg) and Emili Russ (4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg) all appeared in 20 or more games last season with Sesler seeing the most action, averaging over 20 minutes per contest.
NOTES:
- GSW has won 18 of its last 21 non-conference games played in the Storm Dome - the Lady Hurricanes host two non-PBC contests this season
- Days of the week with the most home games: Saturday (7), Wednesday (3)
- GSW is 8-6 vs. teams from the SIAC since 2006-07...the Lady 'Canes play Albany State and Fort Valley State this season