EUNICE, LA – The LSU Eunice women's basketball team begins a home heavy 2017-2018 campaign when it hosts Coastal Alabama-North for a pair of games inside the HPRE Center this weekend.  The Bengals hit the hardwood for the season opener this Friday with a 6:00PM start against the Eagles.
 
The Bengals come off an 11-18 campaign and welcome back a trio of starters: Rylie James (Basile HS), Jaleya Gold (Bolton HS) and Gabrielle Harrington (Erath HS).  James finished 16^th nationally in points per game, averaging 19.1 points.
 
Fourth-year head coach Amanda Clemons infuses a sophomore transfer, Tachiana Ledet (Northside HS), as well as ten freshmen.
 
The Bengals dropped four of their five exhibition games over the last two weekends.  LSU Eunice's lone win came in the SAWBC Showcase in a 66-44 victory over Coastal Bend College.
 
LSU Eunice faces the newly named Coastal Alabama-North from Monroeville, Alabama or the formerly named Alabama Southern Community College.  Coastal Alabama is the recent merger of three community colleges: Faulkner State, Alabama Southern and Jefferson Davis.  All three will still have their own athletic programs with Coastal Alabama-North being named the Eagles, the same as when it was Alabama Southern.
 
The Eagles come off a 12-16 campaign last season.  The two teams have not met since a 2008 meeting that saw then Alabama Southern take an 82-71 home win on November 15, 2008. 
 
LSUE owns a 3-1 all-time series advantage with the lone home win in the series coming in a 95-31 victory on November 15, 2007.
 
Shanda Pugh is the leading returning scorer for the Eagles.  The sophomore dropped 6.5 points a night a year ago.  There are five returnees for Coastal Alabama-North this season.
 
The two teams will meet again on Saturday.  Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00PM inside the HPRE Center.

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GAME 1: LSU Eunice (0-0) vs. Coastal Alabama-North (0-0)
Date/Time: November 3, 2017 | 6:00PM
Site: Eunice, La.
Arena: LSU Eunice's HPRE Center
 
Radio: None
TV/Internet: None
 
Social Media: @LSUBengalsWBB (Twitter), @LSUEuniceBasketball (Facebook), @LSUEBengals (Instagram)
 
Series: LSU Eunice leads 3-1
In Eunice: LSU Eunice leads 1-0
In Monroeville: Series Tied 1-1
At Neutral Sites: LSU Eunice leads 1-0
Current Streak: Coastal Alabama-North +1
 
THE COACHES
LSU EUNICE
Head Coach: Amanda Clemons (Mississippi College)
Career Record: 26-56 (5^th Season), Record at LSU Eunice: Same
 
COASTAL ALABAMA-NORTH
Head Coach: Mandee Armstrong (Troy, 1997)
Career Record: 12-16 (2^nd Season) Record at Coastal Alabama-North: Same

STORY LINES

• LSU Eunice begins its 19^th season of junior college basketball.  The Bengals have posted an all-time record of 260-266 (.494 winning percentage).
• The Bengals are set to host a program record 18 games this season.  LSU Eunice will bring in eight games to the HPRE Center in the month of November alone.
• The Bengals begin the fourth year under Amanda Clemons.  The former LSUE student-athlete has improved her team's record each of the last three years including an 11-18 mark in 2016-2017.

 
RYLIE WATCH: Sophomore Rylie James will have a few LSU Eunice records in the crosshairs for the 2017-2018 season.  James scored 545 points in her freshman campaign and is 66 points away from cracking the Top 5 in Bengals' history for career points. 

RYLIE WATCH, PART 2: The Basile native will also have the free throw record in sight this season.  James sunk 121 from the charity stripe last year, the 5^th most in program history.  James is only 67 free throws away from tying record holder Jennifer Hicks (188).  Her 15 free throws against Mississippi Gulf Coast on Nov. 19, 2016 is the third most in a single game in program history.
 
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Sophomores Jaleya Gold and Gabby Harrington were voted team captains for the 2017-2018 season.  The duo both started last year for the Bengals and are two of five sophomores on this year's team.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: LSU Eunice owns a 3-1 edge in the all-time series against Coastal Alabama.  Then Alabama Southern won the last meeting, 82-71, on November 15, 2008. 
 
LOCAL PRODUCE: The Bengals feature a majority of student-athletes that hail from the around the Eunice area.  Gabrielle Harrington (Erath), Breanna Doucet (Sam Houston), Sissy Saucier (South Beauregard), Arianna Dargin (Iowa), Tajane' Butler (Rayne), Miya McKinney (Ville Platte), Sarah Guidry (Lake Arthur), Tachiana Ledet (Northside), Bethany Broussard (Iowa), Rylie James (Basile) and Whitney Landry (Iota) all played high school basketball within 50 miles of LSU Eunice.
 
WINNING PEDIGREE: The ten incoming freshman had a knack for winning at the high school level.  In their junior and senior high school seasons, the group won a state title, made three championship game appearances and five semifinals.