SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah State women's basketball enters the 2026–27 season with renewed depth and a returning core as head coach Phillip Wallace, Jr. prepares the Lady Tigers for a run at an SIAC Championship.
Wallace enters the second season of his second stint at his alma mater after returning last season. He began his coaching career at Savannah State, previously leading the Lady Tigers from 1990-1995 and led SSU to a 105-38 record.
Following an injury-plagued 7–18 campaign that ended with seven active players, Savannah State's recruiting efforts have produced a roster with more options across the lineup. The current squad includes 16 student-athletes, with nine freshmen joining the program.
Junior Jayden Boykin provides a strong foundation. The Franklin, Georgia, native averaged a team-leading 14.2 points in 14 appearances last season, adding 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45.9 percent from the field. She also collected 34 steals and distributed 30 assists.
Savannah State also welcomes back sophomore guard Alayah Birch, who missed the entire 2025–26 season due to injury. The Charleston, South Carolina native and 2024-25 Second Team All-SIAC selection, averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists during her freshman season in 2024–25. Her return gives the Lady Tigers another proven scoring option.
Senior Sanai Chisholm and junior Ansley Hicks bring experience to the backcourt after appearing in all 25 games last season. Both averaged 7.8 points, with Chisholm recording 50 assists and Hicks contributing 3.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore Saniya Rice adds depth after averaging 3.0 points in 23 appearances.
Transfers Breanna Jones and Limaya Batimba bring collegiate production. Jones averaged 4.2 points and 2.0 assists at Flagler College, while Batimba averaged 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds and shot 57 percent during her freshman season at Stillman College.
The freshman backcourt features Kierra Jackson, Hillgrove High School's Region 3-AAAAAA Player of the Year, who averaged 15 points, five rebounds and four steals. Paris Floyd earned Region 4-AAAAAA Defensive Player of the Year honors at Grovetown High School, averaging 12 points and 4.6 steals. Madison Tinker averaged 14 points and five assists at Gadsden High School.
Inside, Isabella-Raymonde Makelele averaged 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks at Saint Francis High School. Jamayah Carthon averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Kylar Rae Johnson contributed 17 points per game at Langston Hughes. Jordan Lartey, Maegan Jenkins and Jariah Thomas round out the freshman forwards.
Last season's statistics offer a starting point for improvement. Savannah State averaged 60.7 points and 11.1 steals per game, but surrendered an 8.2-rebound margin and averaged 21.8 turnovers.
Those figures suggest that stronger rebounding and better ball security could help SSU capitalize on its defensive pressure. Integrating the newcomers while establishing consistent roles will be central to that progress.
The Lady Tigers begin with an exhibition at Georgia Southern on Monday, November 9, in Statesboro. Savannah State opens the regular season and SIAC play at Tiger Arena against LeMoyne-Owen on Thursday, November 19, at 5:30 p.m., before hosting Lane on Saturday, November 21, at 1 p.m.
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