SAN ANGELO – The Belles officially tip off a new era of Angelo State women's basketball under head coach Alesha Ellis this weekend in Denton when they take on a pair of RMAC schools at the TWU Conference Challenge.
The Belles open their season with MSU Denver on Friday before taking on Western Colorado on Saturday.

MSU Denver was picked third in the RMAC Preseason Poll while Western Colorado slotted right behind them in fourth. The two teams combined for a 26-12 record last season, with Western Colorado making the NCAA Regional.

The Belles return five players from last season's team – the team's top two leading scorers from a season ago, Sawyer Lloyd and Madeline Stephens, as well as Sadie Misner, Samantha Rocha, and Madisen Honea – and add 12 new players to the roster, with seven true freshmen joining five transfers.

Three transfers followed Ellis from Wayland Baptist – Blakely Gerber, Payton Brown and Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant - while Linsey Marchese transferred from Kent State and Ashlynn Sharp joining the Belles from Cal State – San Bernardino.

Coach Ellis, who led Wayland Baptist to eight NAIA Tournament appearances in eight seasons at the helm of the Flying Queens' program, has a track record for reaching the postseason. The Belle Basketball program, who made the NCAA Tournament five times in a row from 2016-20, are familiar themselves with playing meaningful basketball games in March.
 
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
MSU Denver went 12-6 last spring and were picked to finish third in the RMAC Preseason Poll. They return their leading scorer from last spring in Allie Navarette, who averaged 21.2 points per game, as well as leading rebounder Morgan Griego, who averaged 8.8 rebounds last season.

Opponents only shot 38.6 percent against the Roadrunners last season, scoring 65.2 points per game.

The Belles and the Roadrunners have only matched up on one previous occasion, back on November 26^th, 2011, when MSU Denver beat the Belles 68-55 in Canyon.
 
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
Western Colorado went 14-6 last year, reaching the semifinals of the RMAC Tournament as well as making the NCAA Tournament before losing in the first round to Westminster, 68-52.

The Mountaineers return their second-leading scorer from a season ago in Emmery Wagstaff, who averaged 13.0 points per game and was also their leading rebounder with 5.9 boards per game.

This will mark the first-ever matchup between these two teams.

The game versus MSU Denver on Friday will tip off at 4 p.m. and the game Saturday against Western Colorado will tip at 2 p.m. Both games this weekend will be streamed on the LSC Network.