Wednesday, November 05, 2003

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (November 5, 2003) - East Tennessee State women's basketball head coach Karen Kemp announced Wednesday that the Lady Bucs will host Lees-McRae in the teams first exhibition game of the 2003-04 season. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Brooks Gym. Admission is $3 per adult and $1 for children. ETSU boasts seven returning letterwinners from last season, including pre-season all-conference selections Kiya Verdell (Hartwell, Ga.) and Lauren Trantham (Asheville, N.C.). The Lady Bucs are the only team in the SoCon other than Chattanooga to have two players earn pre-season recognition. Kemp has also added eight newcomers to the squad, which finished the 2002-03 campaign with an overall record of 9-19 and 6-12 in the SoCon. With added depth at every position and solid nuclues of returnees, Kemp believes this year's version of the Lady Bucs should be much improved, while the team will continue to run the same style of basketball fans are used to. "We will still be an uptempo team and push the ball down the floor in order to let our athletes be creative within our offense," said Kemp. "I love it, the players love it, and I think our fans love it." ETSU will hold one other exhibition game versus the National Women's Basketball League Select team. That game is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. in Brooks Gym. The Lady Bucs will open the regular season at Temple on Friday, Nov. 28.