Southeastern Louisiana (0-0) vs. Alcorn State (0-0)
Wednesday, November 25, 2020 | 1 p.m. | Hammond, La. | University Center (7,500)
Series History: SLU leads 4-3
Last Meeting: Southeastern Louisiana 77, Alcorn State 59 (Nov. 15, 2018 – Lorman, Mississippi.
Television: ESPN+
            Announcers: Kemmler Chapple, Adam Cortez
Radio: KSLU-FM (90.9)
            Announcer: Chris Salim
Live Video
Live Audio
Live Stats
 
HAMMOND, La. – The wait is nearly over for the Southeastern Louisiana women's basketball team, which will open the 2020-21 season versus Alcorn State on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the University Center.
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The first Southeastern Athletics event in 258 days will air on ESPN+ and can also be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at LionSports.net/listenlive and via the Lions Gameday Experience app.
 
Junior newcomers Natalie Kelly and Chrissy Brown will be Wednesday's Spotlight Players of the Game. The first 100 fans will receive trading cards featuring Kelly and Brown, courtesy of PRIDE.      
 
Southeastern heads into its fourth season under head coach Ayla Guzzardo brimming with optimism. The Lady Lions, who have increased their win total each year under Guzzardo, were picked to finish fifth in the Southland Conference by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Morgan Carrier, a preseason All-Southland Conference selection, is the top active returner for the Lady Lions, as 2019-20 starters Alexius Horne (9.5 ppg, 3.7 apg) and Caitlyn Williams (7.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg) continue to work themselves back from injuries. Carrier, one of eight returning letter winners, averaged 8.1 points per game and ranked among the Southland Conference leaders with a 41.7 percent (45-for-108) three-point field goal percentage.

Carrier, Hailey Giaratano, Breonca Ducksworth, Daija Harvey and Jaylen Huderson are all looking to take advantage of increased roles in the Southeastern attack. The Lady Lion roster got a boost last Wednesday, when Kelly, who played the last two seasons at Auburn, was granted a waiver by the NCAA to be immediately eligible for the 2020-21 campaign. Kelly, along with the junior college quartet of Brown, Cierria Cunningham, Bryana Langford and Kacey Bradford, will provide an immediate positive impact for the Lady Lions.
 
Alcorn State returns 10 letter winners from last year's squad, which finished 9-9 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play a season ago. First-year head coach Nathaniel Kilbert will patrol the sidelines for the first time for the Lady Braves, though he came to Lorman armed with 18 years of head coaching experience in the SWAC.
 
LaRae Rascoe is the top returner for the Lady Braves, as the senior from Indianapolis, Indiana averaged 10.7 points and hit a team-high 35 three-point field goals a season ago. Kyeonia Harris will be one of ASU's top additions after transferring from Arkansas-Pine Bluff, where she averaged 10.5 points per game and ranked in the SWAC top 10 in assists and steals a year ago.
 
Southeastern leads the all-time series with Alcorn State, 4-3. The teams last met in the 2018-19 season with SLU earning a 77-59 road victory. Carrier, then a sophomore, netted 20 points to key the win for the Lady Lions.
 
The Lady Lions are 20-26 all-time in season openers, but have lost their last eight. The last time SLU opened the season with a win was in the 2011-12 season, defeating Centenary, 83-54. Alcorn State carries a 14-28 record in season openers and the Lady Braves' last season-opening win was an 84-77 overtime victory over Southeastern to open the 2017-18 season in Guzzardo's first game as a head coach.
 
Following Wednesday's opener, SLU will head to Hattiesburg, Mississippi to compete in the 33^rd Annual Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic, hosted by Southern Miss. The Lady Lions will open the tournament on Friday with a 6 p.m. game versus Troy, before facing host USM on Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
Friday's game can be heard live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9), online at LionSports.net/listenlive and via the TuneIn Radio and Lions Gameday Experience apps, while Saturday's game will be streamed live (subscription required) at www.conferenceusa.com.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2020-21 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women's Basketball, follow @LionUpWBB on Twitter, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.