By: Jake Miller

NEWBERRY, S.C.- The Coker women's basketball team will open the 2016-17 season facing Limestone and Belmont Abbey at the Stokes-Trainor Conference Challenge this weekend (Nov. 11-12). Coker will face Limestone on Friday (Nov. 11) and Belmont Abbey on Saturday (Nov. 12) respectively. Links for live stats and video can be found at www.cokercobras.com.

Coker is coming off a nine-win season, with eight of those wins in South Atlantic Conference play. The Cobras will lean heavily on two returning starters in junior guard Kendra Lambert and senior forward Terrika Foster. As a sophomore, Lambert averaged 10.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season, notching double-figure scoring 12 times. Foster played and started in all 28 games last season and averaged 8.1 points per game along with 6.0 rebounds per game.

Limestone is coming off an impressive 30-1 season in which they saw some time at the top of the national polls. They advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament in the Southeast Regional before losing 79-70 to Augusta University. Senior Jasmine Kearse is the lone returning starter for the Saints, who averaged 21.6 points per game, the fourth-highest average in the nation.

The Crusaders are coming off an eight-win season, and are picked sixth in this year's Conference Carolinas poll. They return senior forward Gabrielle Bethel who was the team leader in both points (13.9) and rebounds per game (10.4).

Tip-off for the game against Limestone is set for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, while the Belmont Abbey game will tip off on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Both games will be held at Newberry's Eleazer Arena.