After going 8-4 overall and 8-3 in the USA South last season, the LaGrange College women's basketball team has high expectations entering the 2021-22 campaign under second-year Head Coach Jasen Jonus.
The Panthers earned the No. 3 seed in the USA South West Division Tournament last season, the highest finish for the program since the conference went to the West and East Division format in 2016-17. LC opened the season with eight straight wins and senior guard Jalaya Lewis was named to the USA South All-Conference West Division second team.
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"It was a strange season last year with COVID-19, but I am very proud of what the team accomplished on and off the court," said Jonus. "We have compiled a difficult non-conference schedule, which will adequately prepare us for what we will face in the USA South. Top to bottom, the West Division is going to be tough. We cannot wait to get started."
LC, which was picked to place fourth in the USA South West Division Coaches Preseason poll, will play a home-and-home series with each member of the West Division for a total of 16 conference games. All 13 games in January and February will be USA South matchups, as the conference schedule will start with a 2 p.m. game at Berea on Nov. 20.
LaGrange plays nine non-conference, regular-season games, along with exhibitions against NCAA Division I schools in Lipscomb and Mercer. The Panthers' first home game is Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Emory in Mariotti Gym.
Graduate Assistant Coach Matthew Snyder enters his second season with the program and Volunteer Assistant Luke Huddleston begins his first. Makenzie Hornsby enters her first year as a student manager.
The team's captains are Lewis, senior guard Jada Brown and junior guard Gracie Brunel. The unit has 11 returning student-athletes and six newcomers. Below you can learn about all 17 members of the squad.
Turner played high school basketball at Coahulla Creek in Dalton, Georgia, and will suit up as a guard for the Panthers. In high school, she was a Scholar-Athlete and earned the Perfect Attendance award, while being a member of the National Beta club. Turner's major is political science.
Butler scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and a 4-for-7 performance on 3-pointers in 26 minutes during an exhibition game at NCAA Division I Troy on Dec. 7, 2020. During her high school days at Loganville, the guard was an All-Region first team selection and named Player of the Year for Walton County.
Johnson recorded a career-high nine rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench during a 66-26 win over Toccoa Falls on Feb. 6, 2020. She pulled down a season-best six boards in 13 minutes during an 87-24 triumph over visiting Wesleyan on Feb. 16.
Riera Soriano missed the majority of the 2020-21 season with a torn ACL and MCL on her left knee. She finished with three rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench during the exhibition game at Troy.
Brunel averaged 23.6 minutes, 9.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in 2020-21. She dropped a career-high 22 points, including 11 in the third quarter, to go along with a personal-best four made 3-pointers in the victory against Wesleyan on Feb. 16.
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English scored a season-high 11 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the field, to go along with a career-best nine rebounds, in a 94-20 win over visiting Agnes Scott on Jan. 16. She recorded a personal-best 12 points, shooting 5 for 6 from the field and 2 of 2 on 3-pointers, against Wesleyan on Jan. 16, 2019.
Troth enters her first season with the women's basketball program and has been a three-year member of the indoor volleyball team. During the fall 2021 volleyball season, she finished with 201 assists, 154 digs, 121 kills and 23 total blocks.
Reeves recorded career-highs of six points and two made 3-pointers in a 106-25 triumph over Agnes Scott on Jan. 15 in Mariotti Gym. She pulled down a personal-best five boards during the victory over Wesleyan on Feb. 16.
Chavez enters her first season with the program and will play the guard position. She played high school basketball at Ramsay in Birmingham, Alabama, and her major is sports management.
Sanders begins her first season as a guard for the Panthers and her major is education. She scored 1,000 points and her team made the Final Four at Commerce High School. She was named Player and Athlete of the Week, All-Region first and second team and a Preseason All-State and Player of the Year nominee.
Roberts was named the Women's Basketball MVP at Houston County High School in Warner Robins, Georgia. Her major is exercise science, and she will suit up at the guard position.
Glover recorded double digits in scoring three times and rebounding three times during the 2020-21 season. She finished with two double-doubles, including career-bests of 19 points and 16 rebounds in a 92-50 victory at Wesleyan on Feb. 10. The 16 rebounds are tied for the sixth most in a single game in program history.
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Grant averaged 20.8 minutes, 5.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in 2020-21, while shooting 50.0% from the field. She scored eight or more points four times and corralled eight or more rebounds on four occasions.
Lewis was the team's Most Improved Player award winner last season, scoring in double figures during 9-of-12 games. She averaged 27.8 minutes, 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Lewis scored a career and game-high 20 points in a 79-56 win at Huntingdon on Feb. 12.
Strickland won the program's Heart of the Panther award last season and was named to the USA South All-Sportsmanship team. She pulled down five or more rebounds three times and scored a career-high eight points during the victory over Agnes Scott on Jan. 15.
Brown played in 11 games and made eight starts in 2020-21, averaging 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals in 23.8 minutes per game. She scored double figures in five games and grabbed five or more rebounds 10 times. Brown tallied career-highs of 17 points, eight made field goals and five steals in the win over Agnes Scott on Jan. 15.
Whitaker won the Leadership and Coaches awards at Cherokee Bluff High School in Flowery Branch, Georgia. She will play forward and her major is nursing.
Assistant Sports Information Director Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
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