FORT SMITH, Ark. – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Women’s Basketball is set to tip off the 2023-24 season at the Stubblefield Center this weekend with a pair of games against visiting Westminster College.
The Lions will open the season against the Griffins Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then will face the Griffins again Saturday at 6 p.m.
Both games will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network with live stats available at uafortsmithlions.com. The radio broadcasts of the games will be on Fox Sports Radio 103.5.
NOTES:
LAST SEASON: UAFS finished the 2022-23 season 10-18, 8-14 LSC.
HOME OPENER: The Lions are 9-5 in home openers in the NCAA II era.
KEY RETURNERS: UAFS returns three of its top four returning scorers from a year ago in guards Riley Hayes and Hannah Boyett along with forward Kayla Brundidge. Brundidge also led the team in rebounding last season.
NEW FACES: The Lions signed eight players in its 2023 recruiting class, including seven transfers and one freshman.
FROM DISTANCE: Three-point shooting figures to be a strength of the Lions this season, returning both Hayes and Boyett from a team that finished third in the LSC at 32.4 percent from beyond the arc in 2022-23.
RECORD WATCH: Boyett is the program’s career leader in made threes with 163 while Hayes ranks sixth with 92 made threes. Boyett ranks eighth with 722 career points, only 84 shy of the NCAA II era record of 804 held by Jasmine Brainard.
COACH MCADAMS: Head Coach Ryan McAdams enters his third season at the helm of the Lions with a record of 17-36.
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER: The Griffins lost their top four scorers from a team that went 17-13 a year ago and will be under the direction of first-year head coach Asami Morita. Forward Jaycee Lichtie is the team’s top returner after averaging 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds last season.
THE SERIES: The Lions opened the 2022-23 season at Westminster, where the Griffins won the first ever two meetings between the two programs.
