JACKSON, Miss. - The Belhaven women's basketball team gears up for the 2016-17 season with a matchup against Millsaps College in the women's basketball edition of the Riverside Rumble Wednesday night inside Rugg Arena. 

Belhaven completed its first season of NCAA Division III competition with an 8-17 overall record, with five wins in conference play in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). 

The Blazers add nine fresh faces to the 2016-17 squad, but the Green and Gold have their scoring leaders in Candler Gregory and Sierra Pittman back for their respective senior campaigns. 

"We are optimistic for this season, and our team is fired up to start the season with our rivals from across the street," said head coach Steve Calder.

Calder enters his third season at the helm, with a career mark of 24-32 as the head coach of the Green and Gold. 

Both Gregory and Pittman were named to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Mideast Region Team in 2015-16. The duo also led the team in scoring, averaging 13.2 per game. 

Gregory made the ASC Preseason Watch List for a second consecutive season. The Hampton, Ga. native led the team in total points with 331. The NCCAA Scholar Athlete also averaged 5.2 rebounds per contest, and led the team in free throw shooting with a 73 percent mark, while playing about 35 minutes per contest.

Also selected to the ASC Preseason Watch List, Pittman led the Blazers in field goals made with 110, with a field goal percentage of 41.8, which was sixth-best in the NCCAA Mideast Region and fifth in the ASC. The Mobile, Ala. native finished with 2.9 assists per contest, and she also collected 1.8 steals per game. 

Looking to help on the glass for the Green and Gold is Vamikka Smith, who averaged 7.1 rebounds per game in limited action last season. 

With an average of 21 minutes per game. Ieshia Dixon scored 6.8 points per contest last season for the Blazers. The Pearl River Community College transfer shot 34 percent from the field (55-for-160). The Utica, Miss. native also assisted on 22 baskets. On the glass, Dixon totaled 74 rebounds and 12 blocks. She was also selected to the ASC Preseason Watch List for the 2016-17 campaign. 

Millsaps' new head coach Justin LeBlanc will have a young squad with only five upperclassmen on the 16-player roster. The Millsaps alumnus returns to Jackson after one season at Centenary (La.), where he posted a 9-17 mark in 2015-16. 

The Majors posted a 19-9 record in 2016, where they earned a trip to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Tournament Championship Game against top-seeded Birmingham-Southern, where they fell to the Panthers 52-42. 

Returning for the Majors is Braxton Thomas, who was the leading scorer for the Majors last season. The sophomore averaged 9.7 points per game and averaged 5.5 rebounds. 

Senior forward Kala-Jewel Freeman is the returning rebounding team leader from a year ago, averaging 6.4 per game on the glass. 

Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. inside Rugg Arena, with the men's team to follow. 

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