Women's Basketball Opens Season With Two-Game Stretch at Oklahoma State, Tulsa

GAME NOTES

STILLWATER, Okla. – The New Orleans Privateers women's basketball team will open their 2023-24 season with two early games in Oklahoma. The Privateers will face Oklahoma State on Wednesday and Tulsa on Friday. Both games are slated to tip at 11 a.m. and both will be carried on ESPN Plus.
 
A NEW ERA
Coach Trelanne Powell and a new staff will guide the Privateers through the season. Powell spent the previous five years at Tuskegee where she accrued a 96-32 record and earned Conference Coach of the Year honors last season.
 
FIRST TEAM
DeArica Pryor became the first Privateer since Randi Brown in 2018 to earn First Team Preseason All-Southland honors. Pryor returns for her final season as the conference's leader in points and steals and a two-time All-Defensive selection. Pryor scored a career-high 35 points in the Privateers' final game of last season against McNeese.
 
CRASHING THE GLASS
The Privateers led the Southland in offensive rebounds last season. New Orleans pulled down an average of 14.5 offensive rebounds per game which ranked in the top 25 nationally. Zoe Cooper was the leading individual in that department, finishing fifth in the conference last year.
 
PREVIEWING THE SQUAD
A team of ten returners and four newcomers will feature for the Privateers. Four of the top six scorers return in Pryor, Nora Francois, Justice Ross and Nahja Scott. Also returning to add depth to the backcourt are Kyla Davis, Brianna Ellis, Jayla Kimbrough, Kristen Crenshaw-Gill and Imani Williams.
 
Of the four newcomers, three are guards and two come from outside the U.S. Evangelia Davlakou (Greece) transferred from Jacksonville State and was a McDonald's All-American nominee in high school. Yaly Ben Harush (Israel) is entering her freshman season after averaging 14 points per game in the last two years. Alexis Calderon transferred from Labette JC where she averaged 4.0 assists per game for a 26-5 team last season.
 
Patricia Sherrill, who is the lone newcomer in the post, last played at Harford CC where she was a JUCO All-American Honorable Mention.
 
SERIES HISTORY
VS. OKLAHOMA STATE                    0-2                         Last met: 12/15/2014
VS. TULSA                                            1-2                         Last met: 12/18/2014
 
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Oklahoma State had an easy time of it in their season opener. They defeated SIU-Edwardsville 100-59. Six players scored in double figures in the win. Anna Gret Asi led the charge with 20 points for a team that shot 51.3 percent from the field.
 
Head Coach Jacie Hoyt led the Cowgirls to a 12-win improvement in her first season in Stillwater. Oklahoma State won 21 games with five of those coming against teams either ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes in the AP poll.
 
Tulsa was picked seventh in a field of 14 in the American Athletic Conference Preseason Poll. The Golden Hurricane held off Lindenwood for an 89-80 win in a game that saw only a one-point advantage at halftime.

Temira Poindexter earned Preseason All-AAC honors. She was Freshman of the Year in 2021-22. Last season, she averaged 16.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
WE ARE YOUR KREWE
For 54 seasons, Privateer student-athletes have had the unique experience of wearing New Orleans across their chests.  Like the city itself, our sports teams have been fueled by resiliency, grit, and the unquenchable desire to win.  Our city also houses the nation's biggest celebration each year. And much like a Mardi Gras parade krewe, we are tethered to our community through pride, tradition, a culture of acceptance, and finally our commitment to show that New Orleans is a world-class city to live, learn, play and work. We invite you to become more involved with the only University that truly represents New Orleans all day, every day.  Join #NOLAsTeam, We Are Your Krewe! 
Visit UNOPrivateers.com/signup to stay connected and follow us @UNOPrivateers on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans are encouraged to follow @PrivateersWBB on Twitter/X, @PrivateersWBB on Instagram, and like /PrivateersWBB on Facebook.