Belhaven Opens Women’s Basketball Season Against East Texas Baptist
Belhaven opens its 2026-27 women’s basketball season Friday against East Texas Baptist at the ETBU Tipoff Classic in Marshall, Texas. The calendar lists tipoff for 7 p.m. at Ornelas Gymnasium.
The Blazers are coming off a 19-7 season, their highest win total since 2010-11, and an 11-5 conference record. They earned the No. 2 seed in the CCS Tournament, beat Asbury 88-79 in the semifinals and lost to LaGrange 69-62 in the championship game. Belhaven has reached the title game in each of the past three seasons.
Coach Steve Calder enters his 13th season with a substantially remade roster. Belhaven returns five players and has 14 newcomers on its 19-player roster, including junior college transfers from several Mississippi schools. The Blazers were picked fourth in the CCS preseason poll with 26 points and one first-place vote. Piedmont and defending champion LaGrange tied for first with 30 points apiece, followed by Asbury with 27.
Senior forward Jasi Jenkins is back after averaging 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.2% from the field. Senior guard Kamren Edwards appeared in all 26 games last season, averaging 3.7 points and recording 24 steals. Senior forward Amanda Walker led the team with 21 blocks despite averaging 10.4 minutes per game.
Among the newcomers, junior guard Teeale Wells arrives from Jones College, where she averaged 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 2025-26. Madison Smith, a junior guard from Southwest Mississippi Community College, recorded multiple double-doubles in her two seasons there. Laci Buchanan and Nakeria Coleman also join Belhaven from Southwest Mississippi.
Belhaven averaged 76.7 points per game last season, the second-highest rate in program history, and held opponents to 34.6% shooting, matching the program’s best mark. The Blazers also averaged 12.4 steals and forced 23.6 turnovers per game.
East Texas Baptist went 16-9 last season and reached the ASC Tournament semifinals, where it lost 60-58 to Howard Payne. The Tigers were picked second in their conference’s preseason poll. Forward Macey Jones led ETBU in scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Guard Marley Keith averaged 9.6 points and a team-high 2.4 assists.
Belhaven is scheduled to play Schreiner at 1 p.m. Saturday to close its opening weekend. The Blazers’ home opener against Lyon is listed for Nov. 13. East Texas Baptist beat Belhaven 64-58 in their most recent meeting, on Nov. 26, 2024, in Marshall.
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