CONWAY – The Coastal Carolina women's basketball team will open the 2019-20 season this Friday night, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m. when they host the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions at the HTC Center.
 
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs and only the second school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference that the Chanticleers have faced on the harwood having played at SWAC member Alabama State on Dec. 29, 2008.
 
The Chanticleers have 10 players returning off last season's team that made its postseason debut in the 2019 Women's Basketball Invitational led by seniors DJ Williams and Naheria Hamilton.
 
Classmates Torrie Cash and Caitlin Roche also return after seeing action in all 32 games last season with 23 and 30 starts, respectively while sophomore Aja Blount started 11 of the 32 games she played. Tiarra Davis, Kaylin West, Janae Camp, and Alise Davis saw significant time on the court as well while both Kiara Norman and Isiuwa Oghagbon gained a year of experience.
 
Coastal added two transfers and two true freshmen to the fold with one of the transfers having to sit out this season. Newcomer Zacharyia Esmon comes to CCU after two years at Walters State Community College is joined by Janae's twin sister Janeen Camp, who competed at Towson and will sit out this year. True freshmen Alana Denson and Bailey Lewis will also compete for playing time in their first year with the team.
 
Coastal Carolina was picked to finished seventh in the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, jumping one spot from last season's eighth-place preseason prediction.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's basketball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWBB (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.