ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The South Carolina State women's basketball team opens the 2016-17 season this Friday at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum.
 
The 2016-17 edition of the South Carolina State women's basketball team is ready for the upcoming season and everything it will bring. Head coach Doug Robertson, Jr. and assistants Roderick Woods and Alexis Pace return five players from last year and welcome five new ones to the squad.
 
Leading the returnees are junior guard Brittany Drumgoole and sophomore forward JaQuanna Murray. Drumgoole averaged 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 27 games last season. She scored in double digits in 12 games and leads the returning players in scoring average. Murray played in all 29 games and started 11 during her freshman campaign. She averaged 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 points and 1.4 blocks per game. She blocked four or more shots on five occasions, including a season-high six blocks against Coppin State on Feb. 6.
 
Also returning are junior forwards Jahmia Bradley and Mallory Stone and sophomore center Dashanique Peterson. Bradley scored 3.9 points per game and grabbed 3.1 rebounds per game in 29 games in 2015-16, while Stone averaged 2.2 points and one rebound per game. Peterson was a reserve last year who played in eight games, averaging 2.1 points and two rebounds per contest.
 
The newcomers include University of Central Florida transfer, graduate guard Bryeasha Blair, junior guard Regina Garrett, freshman guard Chantel Williams and freshmen forwards Schekinah Bimpa and Alexis Scott.
 
Blair played two seasons at UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in interpersonal communications in May 2015. She will work towards an MBA at SC State and will have two years of eligibility with the Lady Bulldogs. Prior to UCF, she was a four-year player at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, Ill., leading her team to the 2008 Illinois State Championship and the Chicago City Championships in 2009 and 2010.
 
Garrett transferred to SC State from the Arkansas State University Mid-South where she averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 25 games last season. She scored in double figures six times, including a season-high 25 points. The junior college transfer has two seasons of eligibility with the Lady Bulldogs.
 
Williams played in 28 games this past season as a senior at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, N.C. She averaged 11.9 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals per game while helping the Mavericks to a 26-2 overall record. As a sophomore, she tallied 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and two steals per game.
Bimpa averaged 13.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 steal per game as a senior last season at Loganville High School in Loganville, Ga. She helped the Red Devils to a 21-9 overall record during the 2015-16 season and a 12-2 mark in regional play.
 
Scott helped the Lady Rams to an 18-5 overall record and an appearance in the 2015 SC HS Class AAAA playoffs during the 2014-15 season. Scott also led WHS to the Region 1-AAAA title while averaging 14.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game in 2014-15.
 
The 2016-17 schedule features 11 non-conference matchups and 11 home games.
 
"We have a very tough non-conference schedule this year that should prepare us very well for our MEAC games," Robertson said.
 
The Lady Bulldogs start the season with three straight road games. They take on the University of Georgia on Nov. 11 in the season opener, then play games at Winthrop (Nov. 14) and Wofford (Nov. 19) before hosting Morris College in the Smith- Hammond- Middleton Memorial Center on Nov. 21.
 
SC State plays just two of its seven December games in Orangeburg. The Lady Bulldogs host St. Andrews University on Dec.1 and USC Upstate on Dec. 12. The five road games are at Charleston Southern (Dec. 4), Coastal Carolina (Dec. 16), Clemson (Dec. 18), Georgia Southern (Dec. 22) and the University of North Carolina (Dec. 30).
 
The Lady Bulldogs dive right into MEAC play with games at Coppin State (Jan. 4), Hampton (Jan. 7) and Norfolk State (Jan. 9) to start the new year. They then return home for a four-game home stand, hosting Savannah State (Jan. 14), Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 16), Delaware State (Jan. 21) and Morgan State (Jan. 23). A trip to Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 28) and Howard (Jan. 30) concludes the January games.
 
February begins and ends with a pair of home games, with a trip to North Carolina sandwiched in between. Norfolk State (Feb. 4), Hampton (Feb. 6), Coppin State (Feb. 18) and Florida A&M (Feb. 25) all come to Orangeburg, while SC State travels to North Carolina Central (Feb. 11) and North Carolina A&T (Feb. 13).
 
The Lady Bulldogs end the regular season with their final conference matchup at Savannah State on March 2.
 
The 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament will run from March 6-11 at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Va.