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Wildcats Start New Era, Ready for Quality 2019-20 Women’s Basketball Campaign

11/6/2019 8:20:00 PM

By: Chris Myers
FORT VALLEY, Ga. – With a good split between talented new faces and solid returners to the lineup, Fort Valley State starts the coach Andrea Williams era ready for a quality 2019-20 women's basketball campaign.
 
Getting a late start with her new team, Coach Williams has quickly taken on the task of learning her new team and putting the wheels in motion of improving upon last season's difficult 6-20 finish.

"I am learning quickly what we can accomplish in four weeks. We are ahead of where I thought we would be now," explained the new FVSU coach, who started in late September. "The team is hungry to win and more athletic in some spots. It is a good group, a fun group, and has been a good transition (to The Valley)."
 
After seeing her team in real action for the first time this week at NCAA Division I Troy University, Williams' Wildcats will take the lessons learned in the exhibition contest right to task in the season-opening weekend this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 8-9, in the Gulf South Conference/Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Challenge held at Valdosta State. FVSU begins Friday night in a 5 p.m. tip against host Valdosta State, before it will battle West Florida on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m.).
 
The Wildcats coach will have her team not only take part in the annual conference challenge event, but admits to the challenge taking on the new team has been in a short period of time.
 
"We have only been together for four weeks. It's a true time crunch for the first game," said Williams. "We do plan on running a lot of sets for many players, but want our team to try and play 'positionless basketball.' We do have some versatility to accentuate for different lineups."
 
The Wildcats will have two-time All-SIAC guard Alicia Franklin and her two other senior teammates in Nola Carter (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Jalin Moye (Miami, Fla.) to lead the way.
 
For the second year in a row, Franklin increased her production from 3.9 to 10.6 to a 14.5-point average last season. The senior from Atlanta, Ga., also pumped in 65 treys, made 75.7% from the foul line (84 of 111), pulled down 4.6 rebounds and handed out 1.9 assists over 25 contests. She heads into her final year with 896 points (12.1 ppg) in 74 career games and should be the next 1,000-point FVSU career scorer.
 
Sophomores Nyah Dismukes (Nashville, Tenn.) and Jah'ne Brown (Albany, Ga.) join Franklin in the backcourt. Dismukes, who will see time at wing, chipped in 4.7 points per night, while she led FVSU with 76 assists (2.9 apg). Brown, who has a tremendous shot, finished strong in the later part of the season and raised her final average to 4.5 ppg as she downed 10 shots from 3-point range over the team's final five games, including a 24-point effort at Paine College.
 
A third sophomore, Ce'Asia Johnson (Buford, Ga.) will be joined by freshman Nikki Culbreth (Atlanta, Ga.) and junior transfers Jada Neal (Atlanta, Ga./East Georgia State) and Jada Sleet (Lexington, Ky./Allen Univ.) to complete the Wildcats guards.
 
The versatile Carter returns for her final season to lead the small forwards. The Florida native posted five double-doubles a year ago where she averaged 11.2 points with a .391 field goal percentage (106 of 271) and a team-best 6.3 rebounds. Over 77 career games, Carter enters 2019-20 with 757 points (9.8 ppg) and 497 rebounds (6.5 rpg).
 
Joining Carter at forward, sophomore Torri Myers (Buena Vista, Ga.) aims to improve upon a solid first year of 7.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg. Juniors Alexia Green (Fort Valley, Ga.) and Amiah Height (Jesup, Ga.) add two more experienced players to the fold. Green netted 33 points and grabbed 52 rebounds in 24 games, while Height chipped in 41 points and had 56 rebounds in 18 contests.
 
Freshman Taziha Fanning (Whitesville, Ga.) and junior transfer Moena Battle (College Park, Md./Bethune-Cookman) will bring more talent to the inside forwards.
 
Moye has plenty of company at the center post spot in the FVSU lineup. She will have returning sophomore Camille Saunders (Conyers, Ga.) and transfer from two years ago, who is now healthy, 6-3 Ashley Bearden (Concord, N.C./UNC Greensboro). Moye was the team's top shot blocker with 19 blocks to go with 34 points and 55 rebounds in 20 games last season. In three seasons, the senior center has 55 blocked shots in 69 games.
 
Saunders gave quality minutes in the post where she hit for 11 points in two different games and had three-plus rebounds in eight contests. She totaled 63 points, 40 rebounds and seven blocks in 10 minutes of action over 18 games.
 
On the wealth of newcomers to her new squad, Williams added, "I am excited about what each (newcomer) can bring something good to the table either with improved shooting or another inside presence over the entire class."
 
With the mix of experience and new talent, the Wildcats are ready to make their mark on the SIAC ranks in Williams' first campaign at the helm.
 
 
 
-Wildcats-
 
 
 
 
 
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