SEWANEE, Tenn. - The University of the South women's basketball team begins year number 48 on the hardwood in 2022-23, as the Tigers will travel to Rome, Ga. for the CCS / SAA Classic. This tournament will feature two teams from the Southern Athletic Association (Berry and Sewanee) and two teams from the newly formed Collegiate Conference of the South (Piedmont and LaGrange).
This weekend will be the start of the
Brody Curry C'17 era, as he was named head women's coach back in August. Click on the "Game Notes" link to read more.
LET'S GO BACK: Sewanee wrapped up the 2022 season with a 9-15 record, as the Tigers return just four players from last season's squad.
NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP FOR THE TIGERS IN SAA PRESEASON POLL: In the second year of preseason polls, Sewanee was picked to finish eighth in the Southern Athletic Association, as voted on by the head coaches of the league.
The Tigers will have big shoes to fill, losing five seniors to graduation in 2022. On the offensive end, Sewanee lost 75% of its scoring from a year ago, with
Kayla Antoine's 195 being the leader.
Rhodes is the unanimous favorite in the SAA Preseason Poll, winning all eight first-place votes.
Below is the full poll:
| 1. |
Rhodes |
64 points |
| 2. |
Oglethorpe |
46 |
| 3. |
Berry |
41 |
| 4. |
Birmingham-Southern |
38 |
| 5. |
Centre |
37 |
| 6. |
Millsaps |
32 |
| 7. |
Hendrix |
21 |
| 8. |
Sewanee |
9 |
PIEDMONT PREVIEW: Sewanee will play five of the nine teams in the newly formed Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS), and the Tigers will tangle twice with the preseason favorite in the Lions of Piedmont University.
Piedmont is coming off a semifinal finish in the school's final year as full members of the USA South Athletic Conference. Nakiyah Washington and Klaire Varney were All-USA South West Division recipients.
The Lions are stronger than ever in 2022-23, as they return three players who started 10 games or more last year.
Jamie Purdy, who picked up her 300th career win at Piedmont last year, has a 315-140 overall record as she enters her 18th season at the helm.
PIEDMONT SERIES HISTORY: After meeting twice during the 2010s (2010-11, 2018-19), the two teams return to the hardwood not once, but twice, in 2022-23.
Winners of the last three in the all-time series that started in 1991, Piedmont has a 6-2 record in the season series.
This will be the third straight meeting at a neutral site. The two teams met at Emory in Atlanta on Nov. 20, 2010 and in nearby Decatur, Ga. on Nov. 10, 2018 at Agnes Scott.
When Sewanee makes the trek to Demorest over the Thanksgiving break, it will be the first time the Tigers have played in the cave since Dec. 5, 2007.
SEASON OPENERS: Sewanee is 27-19 all-time in season openers, and it will be the sixth straight season the Tigers have started a campaign away from the Domain.
The Tigers ended a five-game skid in openers last year with a 57-38 drumming of Wesleyan (Ga.) on Nov. 7, 2021.
Piedmont and Sewanee will meet for the second time in the Tigers' opener, with the Lions posted the 68-64 win at a neutral site in 2018-19.
LAGRANGE PREVIEW: With four returning seniors to the 2022-23 roster, LaGrange is looking to build on a 15-win season last season in its first year of the CCS. The Panthers were picked fourth, ahead of Berea, Piedmont and Maryville.
One of those seniors, Gracie Brunel, led the team in scoring with 17.4 points per game, while Breonna Glover crashed the boards for the Panthers with 6.9 per contest.
Already starting the 2022-23 season on Tuesday, the Panthers dropped the opener at Emory University, 79-57.
Jasen Jonus, who graduated from Birmingham-Southern in 2012, is in his third season as head coach at LaGrange. Prior to taking the women's head job, he spent seven years on the men's coaching staff at LaGrange.
LAGRANGE SERIES HISTORY: An annual trip for Sewanee in the 2000s, the teams will square off for the third time in the last six years. This will be the first contest on a neutral floor.
Entering the ninth meeting all-time, the Panthers and Tigers have each won four contests, but it is LaGrange that has won three straight meetings.
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