Women's Basketball | 11/9/2016 12:05:00 PM

SAN ANGELO - The Angelo State women's basketball team will take the court for the first time week, playing an exhibition game against the University of Texas at San Antonio at 7 p.m. Friday in San Antonio.

The Belles finished the 2015-2-16 season with a 24-8 record and a Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship and falling in the second round of the national tournament to eventual national champion Lubbock Christian.

"We want to go down there and compete," ASU head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker said. "We want to get after them as if they were a normal opponent. It just counts as a scrimmage, but we want to treat it like a real live game for us. We better match their intensity or they're going to make us pay. They've got a really good team so it should be a good game."

So far this year, ASU has been ranked No. 22 in the D2SIDA preseason poll as well as earning a top 25 preseason ranking in the Women's Basketball Coaching Association preseason poll. The Belles are returning seven players and four starters from last year's squad, including 2015-16 LSC Offensive Player of the Year Jasmine Prophet.

Prophet played in all 31 games for the Belles, averaging 14.2 points per game and leading the team in both rebounds and blocks. The senior scored a career-high 33 points in the Belles January 9 matchup against Texas A&M-Commerce.

Although Prophet had the highest scoring average in conference play last season, she was bested in the season overall by point guard Taylor Dorsey, who averaged 16.7 points per game. Dorsey scored more than 20 points in nine different games last season and 30 or more in three of those contests. The Ft. Worth native played the most minutes last season and was the team's assist leader, averaging 3.9 per game.

Playing the second most minutes of any returning player was junior guard KeAnna Kelly, who's points per game average of 12.1 and rebounds per game average of 5.6 were both good for third on the team.

Rounding out the returning starters from last year's team is Christina Robinson, who started all 31 games for the Belles. Robinson was the team's leader in steals last year with 47 and chipped in on offense as well with an average of 6.1 points per game.

Three other returning Belles saw playing extensive playing time in almost every game last season including Lexi Murphy, Kiahna Curry and Natalie Quesnel, who all played in more than 25 games last year.

Curry played in all 31 of the games, averaging 15.5 minutes per contest. The junior guard averaged 4.2 points per game off the bench and made almost 40 percent of the three-pointers she attempted. Murphy played in all but one of the Belles' games last season as well, making the third most three-pointers of any returner and averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 assists per game. Quesnel was just in her first season of collegiate competition last year, but made it into 27 games and averaged almost three points off the bench.

Joining the Belles' seven returners will be six newcomers, five of which have previous collegiate experience.

Bria Frierson comes to ASU after spending her first two years of college with the University of North Texas. While there, the Frisco native scored 4.7 points per game and grabbed 4.14 rebounds per game as a sophomore while hitting 60.2-percent from the field.

Chenelle Pelle comes to ASU with prior experience at junior college Iowa Western. During her sophomore season there, Pelle scored 11 points and grabbed 5.1 rebounds per game. She earned all-region honors in both years at Iowa Western.

The Belles also added more size with the addition of forward Shauna Coleman, who is returning to ASU after playing her freshman season here. Her sophomore season was spent at Eastern Oklahoma, where she scored 14.6 points per game and grabbed 9.2 rebounds per game. She was also a first team all-region selection at Eastern Oklahoma.

Madi Greenwood is another one of the Belles' JUCO transfers, playing at Crowley College for her first two years of eligibility. She averaged 12.6 points per game with a 2.7 steals per game at Crowley and was a first team Jayhawk Conference selection and a first team all-region pick.

Junior guard Vanessa Jones was also added to the Belles' roster after Jones spent the two previous seasons at San Jacinto College. While there, Jones averaged 11.9 points, 3.1 assist and 2.1 steals per game, earning all-region honors as a sophomore in the process.

The only freshman to join Angelo State this season is Bethany Ross out of Mansfield Legacy High School. Ross set the Mansfield Legacy record for most 3-pointers while earning academic all-district honors all three years and making the all-district first team as a junior.

"I'm really excited for our returners and the growth that we can already see in them," Baker said. "I'm also excited to see to our new players and look at how they buy into the program and play early on."

UTSA is coming off a season that saw them finish 10-19 overall and lose to Florida International in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. The Roadrunners have played two exhibitions so far this season, topping Texas A&M International and Trinity so far in their preseason.

"Whether we lose by 50 or win by 50, it will be a good test for us early to see where we are," Baker said, "and to have the kind of intensity we'll need when the season actually gets started."