Savannah State Women’s Basketball Started its First Official Practice Sunday

HEAD COACH CEDRIC BAKER
SAVANNAH STATE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

SAVANNAH, Georgia -- Savannah State University women's basketball team, who won the 2014-15 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship, began its first official practice on Sunday in Tiger Arena.
 
"It's definitely an exciting time for us," head coach Cedric Baker said, who enters his 23^rd season overall and his 13^th season at Savannah State.   "Coming off a tournament championship season, we're excited to get started."
 
The Lady Tigers went 21-11 overall last season, the best record in the school's Division I era and went 13-3 in the MEAC, the best MEAC record in program history since its first year of competition in 2011-12.
 
SSU came into the MEAC Championship on an eight-game winning streak and won all three games in the tournament against Coppin State (66-52), North Carolina A&T (62-59) and Maryland Eastern Shore (65-47) to win its first MEAC title. 
 
This season, the Lady Tigers are going to replace three starters from last season's championship team, Ezinne Kalu, Jasmine Norman and Bria Dorsey and welcomes four junior transfers.
 
"I'm excited to get the chemistry going," Baker said.  "We do have some returners that have gotten taste of success and hopefully they'll build on that experience from the tournament championship.  Once they've gotten a taste of victory and a taste of success and what hard work bring to you at the end."
 
Kalu led Savannah State last season with 16.5 points per game and averaged 4.4 rebounds per game.  She finished her career with 2,119 points.
 
Norman was second on the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game and with 5.5 rebounds per game, while Dorsey was fourth on the team in scoring with 8.8 points per game and averaged 3.7 rebounds per game.
 
Savannah State returns two junior starters of Kenyata Hendrix and Tiyonda Davis.  Hendrix was third on the team last season with 9.0 points per game and led the team with 48 3-point field goals made, 171 3-point field goal attempts and with a .281 3-point field goal percentage, which ranked 13^th in the conference.
 
Davis averaged 8.5 points per game last season and led the team with 7.6 rebounds per game, which ranked sixth in the MEAC.  Davis led the team in rebounds with 244, rebounds per game, field goal percentage with .544, which ranked second in the conference, and with 67 blocks, which ranked third in the conference.    
 
The four junior transfers are Chelsea Frazier from Dakota College at Bottineau, Jeremica Edwards from Tallahassee Community College, Taylor Shaw from Gulf Coast and Caprisha Treadwell from Walters State Community College.
 
"Having junior college players coming in, is a direct correlation of what you do off the court and what you do on the court," Baker said.  "Having junior college players as newcomers, I think they will adapt to college life quicker and make that transition easier than a freshmen."

COURTESY SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION