Women's Basketball 11/5/2026 3:59:00 PM Athletics Communications

Women's Basketball Kicks off Season at ETBU Tip Off on Friday

JACKSON, Miss. - Coming off its winningest season in 15 years and a third consecutive appearance in the CCS Championship Game, the Belhaven Women's Basketball team will begin a new chapter Friday night against East Texas Baptist at the ETBU Tipoff Classic in Marshall, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Ornelas Gymnasium.

The Blazers will wrap up their opening weekend against Schreiner on Saturday at 1:00 PM before returning to Jackson for their home opener against Lyon on November 13th.

Head Coach Steve Calder enters his 13th season leading the program after guiding Belhaven to a 19-7 record in 2025-26, including an 11-5 mark in conference play. The Blazers earned the No. 2 seed in the CCS Tournament and defeated Asbury, 88-79 in the semifinals before falling to LaGrange in the championship game.

Despite last season's success, Belhaven will have a much different look when it takes the floor Friday. The Blazers return just five players from a year ago and welcome 14 newcomers, with several junior college transfers expected to play significant roles.

While the roster has changed, Belhaven enters the season with expectations of remaining among the contenders in the CCS. The Blazers were selected fourth in the conference's preseason coaches poll, receiving 26 points and one first-place vote. Piedmont and defending champion LaGrange tied for the top spot with 30 points apiece, followed by Asbury with 27.

Belhaven's returning players and newcomers will look to build upon a 2025-26 season in which the Blazers averaged 76.7 points per game, the second-highest mark in program history. Defensively, Belhaven held opponents to 34.6 percent shooting, matching the program's best single-season field goal defense mark.

The Blazers open against an East Texas Baptist team coming off a 16-9 campaign and an appearance in the ASC Tournament semifinals. The Tigers were picked second in the ASC preseason poll and return several key contributors from last year's squad.

Following the ETBU Tipoff Classic, Belhaven will host three consecutive games at Rugg Arena, beginning with Lyon on November 13.

A NEW LOOK IN JACKSON
Belhaven welcomes 14 newcomers to its 19 player roster after graduating or losing much of the group that helped the Blazers reach the last three CCS Championship Games.

THREE STRAIGHT TITLE GAME APPEARANCES
The Blazers have reached the CCS Tournament Championship Game in each of the last three seasons. Belhaven advanced to the title game in 2024, 2025 and 2026, most recently defeating Asbury, 88-79, in the semifinals before falling to LaGrange, 69-62.

A 15-YEAR HIGH
Belhaven's 19 victories last season marked the program's highest win total since 2010-11. The Blazers finished with a 19-7 overall record and won 11 conference games, earning the No. 2 seed in the CCS Tournament.

JASI'S BACK IN JACKSON
Senior forward Jasi Jenkins returns after averaging 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season while shooting 51.2 percent from the field. She scored a career-high 23 points against Millsaps on November 18th, helping Belhaven overcome a 13-point fourth quarter deficit in an overtime victory.

WALKER'S TIME TO SHINE
Senior forward Amanda Walker is expected to see an increased role after leading Belhaven with 21 blocked shots in 2025-26. Despite averaging just 10.4 minutes per game, Walker finished with 82 points and 66 rebounds across 21 appearances. Her best performance came against Piedmont on February 14, when she recorded 14 points and 13 rebounds.

EDWARDS BRINGS EXPERIENCE
Senior guard Kamren Edwards is one of Belhaven's most experienced returning players, having appeared in all 26 games last season. The Jackson native averaged 3.7 points and recorded 24 steals while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. Edwards scored a career-high 18 points at MUW on December 11.

JUNIOR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE
Belhaven's projected rotation includes transfers from Jones College, Southwest Mississippi Community College, Holmes Community College, East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi Delta Community College.

WELLS TAKES THE NEXT STEP
Teeale Wells brings two seasons of collegiate experience from Jones College. The junior guard averaged 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists during the 2025-26 season. She also averaged 26.1 minutes per game across her 15 appearances last season.

SMITH'S SCORING ABILITY
Madison Smith joins the Blazers following two seasons at Southwest Mississippi Community College. The junior guard scored 24 points against Delgado Community College last December and recorded multiple double-doubles, including a 19-point, 12 rebound game against Hinds Community College in January.

A CHAMPIONSHIP BACKGROUND
Sophomore guard Stella Havard helped Central Hinds Academy win back-to-back state championships in 2024 and 2025. Havard was named the Class 4A Player of the Year in 2025 and finished her high school career with more than 1,000 points before spending her freshman season at Holmes Community College.

A SOUTHWEST CONNECTION
Madison Smith, Laci Buchanan and Nakeria Coleman each arrive at Belhaven after spending time at Southwest Mississippi Community College. Smith and Coleman played two seasons for the Lady Bears, while Buchanan spent one season at Southwest after beginning her career at Pearl River.

DEFENSE SET THE TONE
Belhaven held opponents to 34.6 percent shooting from the floor last season, matching the best mark in program history. The Blazers also averaged 12.4 steals per game, forced 23.6 turnovers per contest and scored an average of 21.3 points off turnovers.

SCORING IN BUNCHES
Belhaven averaged 76.7 points per game last season, the second-highest scoring average in program history. The Blazers scored 1,994 points in 26 games and finished with a positive scoring margin of 10.0 points per contest.

PRESEASON EXPECTATIONS
Belhaven was picked fourth in the 2026-27 CCS Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 26 points and one first-place vote. The Blazers finished just one point behind Asbury for third place, while Piedmont and LaGrange shared the top spot with 30 points each.

BACK TO THE BEGINNING
The Blazers opened the 2025-26 season with five consecutive victories, their first 5-0 start since the 2019-20 campaign. Belhaven began that stretch with a 103-78 victory over MUW, scoring the fifth-most points in a single game in program history.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS

East Texas Baptist enters the 2026-27 season under Head Coach Blake Arbogast. The Tigers finished 16-9 overall last season and advanced to the ASC Tournament semifinals before falling to Howard Payne, 60-58.
The Tigers were selected second in the ASC Preseason Poll, earning 54 points behind preseason favorite Hardin-Simmons.
Returning forward Macey Jones led ETBU in scoring last season, averaging 12.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Jones shot 49.0 percent from the field and led the team with 41 blocked shots.
Guard Marley Keith also returns after averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 2.4 assists per contest. Keith knocked down 31 three-pointers last season while shooting 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Senior forward Tristan Smith adds experience to the Tigers' frontcourt after averaging 6.6 points and 6.1 rebounds across 25 starts in 2025-26.
East Texas Baptist held opponents to 56.6 points per game last season while averaging 66.0 points offensively. The Tigers also held a 7.1-rebound advantage per game.
The teams last met on November 26, 2024, when East Texas Baptist earned a 64-58 victory over Belhaven in Marshall.

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Players Mentioned

#25 Kamren Edwards: G; 5' 6"; Senior

#33 Jasi Jenkins: F; 5' 9"; Senior

#32 Amanda Walker: F; 5' 11"; Senior

#2 Laci Buchanan: G; 5' 3"; Junior

#3 Teeale Wells: G; 5' 5"; Junior

#20 Stella Havard: G; 5' 6"; Sophomore

#35 Madison Smith: G; 5' 7"; Junior

#40 Nakeria Coleman: F; 6' 2"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#25 Kamren Edwards
: 5' 6"; Senior
: G

#33 Jasi Jenkins
: 5' 9"; Senior
: F

#32 Amanda Walker
: 5' 11"; Senior
: F

#2 Laci Buchanan
: 5' 3"; Junior
: G

#3 Teeale Wells
: 5' 5"; Junior
: G

#20 Stella Havard
: 5' 6"; Sophomore
: G

#35 Madison Smith
: 5' 7"; Junior
: G

#40 Nakeria Coleman
: 6' 2"; Junior
: F