MAGNOLIA, Ark. – A new era of Lady Mulerider basketball is set to begin on Saturday, November 14, as first-year head coach Julio Pacheco will lead Southern Arkansas into Little Rock for the 2015-16 season opener against Philander Smith College with a tip-off time slated for 5:30 p.m.
 
Pacheco became the sixth head coach in program history on April 8 and takes over a Lady Mulerider program that finished 9-18 overall, while picking up seven Great American Conference wins in 2014-15. In mid-October, Southern Arkansas was tabbed to finish 11^th in the 2015-16 GAC coach's preseason poll, despite consecutive trips to the league tournament in 2013-14 and 2014-15.  
 
Saturday's matchup will feature a 4-0 Philander Smith squad that has shown early signs of offering up a stifling defense as the Lady Panthers rank in the top-15 of several defensive categories in NAIA-Division I Women's Basketball including blocks per game (6.0, 4^th), scoring margin (40.3, 5^th), steals per game (17.3, 6^th) and field goal percentage defense (.302, 13^th).
 
Southern Arkansas will lean on a familiar and dominating presence in senior forward Rosa Bryant. An All-GAC Honorable Mention selection in 2014-15, Bryant helped pace the Lady Mulerider offense along with Chanel Miller (graduated) as the Bastrop, Louisiana, native averaged 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the floor a year ago. She collected 32 steals, 19 assists and 11 blocks on the season, while averaging just over 24 minutes of action in 24 games played.
 
Classmate Tierra Tucker also returns for the Lady Muleriders. The senior guard averaged nine points a game last season and dished out a team-leading 53 assists. A native of College Station, Texas, Tucker averaged 20.7 minutes in 22 games played a year ago.
 
After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, senior guard Shana Holmes will take to the court again for the first time since garnering 2013-14 All-GAC Second Team honors as a key member of the Harding Bisons. That season, the San Antonio, Texas, product averaged 12.3 points per game and shot over 45% from the field as she played in and started all 32 games for the GAC's regular season champions.
 
Several new faces will roam the floor for Southern Arkansas this season as Pacheco and his staff welcome in three junior-college transfers, an NAIA-transfer and three freshmen as well as four additional returners that will vie for playing time.
 
Junior guards Caroline Ficher, Faith Rolen and Makaila Jordan as well as redshirt-senior Destavia Davis and sophomore Rachel Medina will compete in the backcourt; while a trio of returning forwards will contribute in senior Shunta Nevitt and sophomores Aleeya Harris and Carlee Earls.
 
Three in-state freshmen in Jasmyn Eckerman, Jaida Harden and Alyssa Hamilton provide depth for a revamped Lady Mulerider team.
 
Fans interested in keeping up with the 2015-16 Lady Mulerider Basketball team can do so by visiting this link (http://muleriderathletics.com/index.aspx?path=wbball) for game previews and recaps, player and coaching staff information and other updates on the program's journey throughout the new season.