Setting the Scene
- SWOSU Women's Basketball will open the 2018-19 season in Shawnee, taking on Emporia State and Missouri Southern at the GAC/MIAA Crossover
- This is the fourth consecutive season these same four teams have played each other in a season-opening event
- SWOSU is 1-2 in previous meetings with Emporia State and 2-1 in the three matchups with Missouri Southern after sweeping through the Crossover to open last season
- SWOSU returns all five starters from last year's successful season that ended with a Great American Conference Championship and third berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament
- The Lady Bulldogs open the season ranked in both national polls, sitting at No. 20 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll and No. 13 in the D2SIDA Media Poll
- SWOSU is led by two-time GAC Player of the Year and reigning Central Region Player of the Year Hailey Tucker, who averaged 20.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a junior to also earn Honorable Mention All-America honors
 
About the Opponents
Emporia State (0-0)
- Emporia State comes into the contest 97-28 in neutral site games and is 34-15 in neutral site games against teams in the Top 25
- The Lady Hornets will bring back Tyra Jones who led the team in points at 13.3 a game and rebounding pulling down 7.8 boards a game
- Emporia State will also get back two key players from injury in Addie Lackey and Kyrstie Miller
 
Missouri Southern (0-0)
- Missouri Southern averaged 69.9 points a game a season ago, finishing in the Top 10 in scoring offense in the MIAA
- The Lions will look to lone returning senior Chelsey Henry to lead the team this season after ending last season ranked fifth in the MIAA in scoring at 17.5 points a game
- MSSU is 1-2 against SWOSU in the MIAA/GAC Challenge since the teams began participating in it during the 2015-16 season
 
SWOSU Notes
- SWOSU was picked to finish first in the Great American Conference this season after having a dominating season last year, going 26-5 and winning the GAC Championships
- The Bulldogs are led by the dynamic senior backcourt duo of Hailey Tucker and Hayden Priddy, who have combined to earn five First Team All-Great American Conference selections
- Tucker is SWOSU's most decorated player of the NCAA Division II era, entering her senior season as a two-time All-American, two-time GAC Player of the Year and the reigning D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year
- Priddy returns for her senior season after earning First Team All-GAC and Second Team All-Central Region honors as a junior as she ranked fifth in the conference in scoring 15.4 points per game and third in the league free throw percentage (87.5%), three-point percentage (42.0%), and assists (4.5 apg)
- Joining Priddy and Tucker in the backcourt is reigning GAC Defensive Player of the Year Tyra Aska, who led the Bulldogs with 56 steals last season while ranking third on the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.0 per game)
- Taylor Hedrick started 30-of-31 games last season and ranked fifth on the team in scoring with 8.5 points per game during her junior year
- Bethany Franks made 30 starts as a freshman and led the conference with 9.7 rebounds per game while adding 10.0 points per game
- In addition to the five starters back, SWOSU welcomes back senior guards Savannah Gray and Katie Percival along with sophomore guards Taber Beer and Alexa Harvey who look for an expanded role this season
- Among the newcomers expected to add depth include freshman guard Lauren Ramey from Kiefer, Okla., and junior post player Dovile Strimaitye, a transfer from Weatherford College
 
Looking Ahead
- Following the Crossover, the Lady Bulldogs will have 10 days off before returning home on November 21st to host Cameron for the home opener
- SWOSU will then be back at the Pioneer Cellular Event Center on November 24th to host Oklahoma Christian
- Great American Conference play opens up in Ada on November 29th against East Central