SAVANNAH, Ga.- The Savannah State women's basketball team is ready to make another run in search of capturing a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. Two years ago, SSU made it to the conference championship game but lost to Benedict and last year the Lady Tigers were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Edward Waters. As the saying goes, the third time might be the charm.

The 20-player roster is made up on ten returnees. Leading the way are preseason 2023-24 All-SIAC picks Amari Heard and Nyla Allen. Both were named to the All-SIAC Preseason First Team with Heard be tabbed as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Following the 2022-23 regular season, Allen was named to the All-SIAC First Team while Heard earned Second Team honors.
 
Playing in 25 games last year, Heard averaged 32.4 minutes per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor. The West Point, Mississippi native averaged 12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals while blocking 18 shots.
 
Heard scored a career-high 26 points last year against Central State on November 28, 2022. She had a season-high 15 rebounds and four blocks against Miles on Nov. 13, six assists against Fort Valley State on January 7 and six steals against Spring Hill on December 17.

Allen saw action is 22 contests a year ago and played 33.1 minutes per outing. She shot 43 percent from the field and made 80 percent of her free throws. The Jacksonville, Florida native averaged 14.5 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game.
 
Allen had a career-high 28 points and eight assists against Central State, five steals against Miles on December 5 and a season-high of six rebounds against Oakwood on Nov. 12.
 
Also returning to the lineup are Jashiyah Jones (7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.3 assists) and Ta'Quasia Lampkin ( 6.5 points, 5.4 rebounds. 1.5 assists, 1.5 blocks, 2.5 steals). Myasia Jones played in four games last year before suffering a season ending injury also returns. Before getting hurt, she averaged 16.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 1.3 assists per contest.

Head coach Cedric Baker has ten newcomers this season. Among the new players is Savannah native Sanai Chisholm who averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals a year ago at Woodville-Tompkins High School. Also on the team are Division I transfers Mya Byrd and Jacquece Alston. Byrd averaged 4.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds at Georgia State. Alston played for SSU during the 2018-19 season and averaged 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds and had 36 steals before transferring to South Carolina State.

Other newcomers who could see early playing time are Talia Hamilton, Anaiya Donaldson, Kiana Turner and Ja'Siiyah Holmes.

Hamilton averaged 10.9 points, 6 rebounds and 3.1 assists at East Georgia State while Donaldson chipped in 9.7 points and 6.6 rebounds at Southern University at New Orleans. Turner and Holmes both hail from Augusta, Georgia. The 5-10 Turner averaged 28.9 points, 4.5 assists, 10 rebounds, 5.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game at Laney High School and the 6-2 Holmes, who played at Josey High School, averaged 8.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per night.

Aaron Bryant returns for his second season as an assistant coach. Felicia Ashley Austin will be in her first year as an assistant coach but is not new to the program. Alston played at SSU in the early 1980s and led the team in scoring her senior year (1983-84) with 14.7 points a game

Savannah State was picked to finish second in the SIAC East behind Clark Atlanta.

SSU tips off the regular season on November 17 by hosting Trinity Baptist College. They will play Division II newcomer University of South Carolina-Beaufort on Nov. 21 in Savannah's EnMarket Arena as part of the Savannah Hoops Invitational and will start a three-game home stand on Nov. 25 with contests against Kentucky State University, Central State University (Nov. 27) and Georgia Southwestern University (December 2).