TUSKEGEE, Ala. | A new era of Tuskegee University women's basketball gets underway Saturday afternoon in Georgia as the Tigerettes take the floor under first-year head coach Quacy Barnes-Timmons.
 
Tuskegee faces Valdosta State on Saturday with the game taking place on the campus of Darton State College in Albany (Ga.). Tip is set for 4 pm.
 
Timmons takes over a program that finished 2-25 a season ago, but brings with her a pedigree to get the program turned back around. She comes to Tuskegee from Columbus State where, as an assistant, helped the team to a 31-2 record last season.
 
This season, the Tigerettes are led by All-SIAC Preseason selection Rachel Brownlee who scored 20 or more points six times, including a career-high 26 points against Georgia College [11/21/14] in the second game of the season. Brownlee finished the year as the leading scorer for the Tigerettes, averaging 13.4 points per game.
 
Demetries McNealy returns for her senior season as the second-leading scorer from last season averaging 8.2 points per game, while dishing out 47 assists. Fellow senior Chelsea Azore returns for her senior season after averaging 7.1 points per game.
 
Tuskegee will play two games in two days, with the second being against the University of West Georgia on Sunday in Valdosta.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Valdosta State
Valdosta State was picked to finish sixth in the Gulf South Conference preseason poll, according to the coaches. In last year's appearance in the Gulf South Conference Tourna- ment, Valdosta State they fell to Delta State in a tight first round matchup. The poll represented a mixed bag of predictions on how the Lady Blazers would fare in 2015-16, as VSU received one fourth place vote, two fifth place votes, one vote for sixth, two for seventh, three votes for eighth, and one vote as potential ninth place finishers. West Georgia accumulated the exact same votes in the poll allowing no separation between the two.  6-1 forward Madi Mitchell of VSU made the list for top newcomers, along with 5-10 senior Lydia Harvey. The two players look to make an immediate impact on the court for the Blazers. Valdosta State returns two of their top four scorers in Imari Simpson and Maggie Davis. Simpson averaged 11.2 points per game, to go along with four rebounds per game; while Davis averaged 10.9 points and six rebounds per game.
 
West Georgia
After graduating seven seniors from the 2014-15 squad, the Wolves have a good bit of fresh faces on the floor this season. Head coach Scott Groninger has seven new players on this year's team with two freshmen and five transfers. April Levy (SR, 5-5, Jackson, Miss.) joins the Wolves from Lamar where she played in 20 games last season. Levy is joined by transfers Chloe Neil (JR, 5-10, Bristol, Tenn.) who played at Motlow College last season, and D'Asia Cain (SO, 5-11, Smyrna, Ga.) who trans- fers from UNC-Wilmington. Those tranfers are joined by returners Bre'ana Singleton (JR, 5-2, Suwanee, Ga.), A'Kia Harris (RFR, 5-10, Calera, Ala.), Katrina Littlepage (SR, 5-6, Slidell, La.), Aysha Harris (SO, 5-8, Memphis, Tenn.), and JaDechia Hill (SR, 5-11, Carrollton, Ga.). Perhaps the biggest question mark for Scott Groninger and the Wolves heading into the new campaign is can he replace the offensive production from last year's squad. West Georgia graduated its top three scoring outputs from a season ago in Taylor Beverly (18.5 PPG), Seandre Lee (10.9 PPG), and Marion Lemonnier (8.7 PPG). Senior Guard Katrina Littlepage is the returning scoring leader at 7.7 points per game last season. West Georgia fell to Georgia Tech in an exhibition contest, 77-35. Terrianna Cave led the UWG offense with 12 points while the Wolves got seven points each from Katrina Littlep- age and D'Asia Cain. On the glass, the Wolves were led by A'Kia Harris and April Levy with four each.
 
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