The 2008-09 Lady Rams Basketball team looks to improve from last season’s 3-25 record.
Eight players return from last year along with six newcomers.
“The key returners from last season are Vontisha Woods and Rene Rector,” said head coach Dee Stokes.
“T’hey were our top two leading scorers last year, and Vontisha is our leading rebounder from a year ago. They have started off really well this year.”
The Lady Rams recruited six freshmen: Porsche Herell of Fayetteville; Shatara Jackson from Wilmington; Jillian Charlet from Nabb, Ind.; Jordhan Patterson from Norfolk, Va; Elizabeth Maas from Clemmons, N.C; and, Chloe Morse from Sumerduck, Va.
Once again, the Lady Rams will be playing in three locations: C.E. Gaines Center, LJVM Coliseum Annex and the Joel Coliseum.
Stokes requested that they play all of their non-conference opponents in the Gaines Center so that students would have easier access.
“The key this year is that we are a lot better defensively. I am really pleased at how we have been doing on the defensive side of the ball,” Stokes said.
She says the most anticipated game of the year will be against rival North Carolina A&T.
Stokes said A&T is a good team and plays a difficult schedule.
The Lady Rams will open their season in a tournament in Elon, N.C.
On the first day they take on Elon University, and the second day they will face UNC-Wilmington.
Stokes says the team is a lot better than last year’s squad. She said that the team is a year older and more aggressive.
“I really think we finally have a Division I team on the floor,” she said.
“We have depth that we have not had in the last two years, and we are playing an exciting brand of basketball.”