LONGVIEW, Texas -- The 30th season of LeTourneau women's basketball is set to get underway next week as the 2023-24 edition of the YellowJackets opens the season with an exhibition at Division I foe Texas A&M-Commerce.

Monday's game is set for 5 p.m. in Commerce and can be watched on ESPN+.

Under second-year head coach Scot MacAllister, the YellowJackets look to improve off the rebuilding year that took place a season ago. LeTourneau returns three starters and five players overall from last season's team.

The YellowJackets will play nearly half of their games inside Solheim Arena this season. The home opener is set for Nov. 11 against Southwestern (1 p.m.) after the YellowJackets begin the regular season at Texas Lutheran on Nov. 8.

THE TEAM

Five returners -- three of those starters -- and a host of newcomers comprise the roster in 2023-24.

Sophomore Bailey Broughton is the team's leading returning scorer as she averaged 11.0 points and dished out 2.2 assists per game as a rookie en route to being named All-ASC honorable mention and to the ASC All-Freshman team. Broughton earned a spot on the ASC Players to Watch List for this season.

The block party also returns for the YellowJackets. Sophomore Alyssa Hall and junior Haylee Jordan were the top two blockers in the ASC last season, with Hall tallying 37 and Jordan 36. LeTourneau led the conference in blocks (114) and blocks per game (4.56). Hall was tabbed on the conference's preseason Players to Watch List.

Sophomore guards Kylie Weeks and Madelyn DeLosSantos also return for the YellowJackets. Both saw significant minutes and starts in their first years.

MacAllister and his staff brought in 11 newcomers to the program. Senior Ganae Gaines and junior LaQuesha Clark bring college experience to the team. Gaines -- the third member of LeTourneau's honorees on the ASC Players to Watch List -- played parts of three seasons at ASC foe University of the Ozarks, while Clark played two seasons at Arlington Baptist.

The rest of the newcomers includes junior Chloe York along with eight freshmen: Sara Savage, Future Asevedo, Mariana Espinosa, Matti McDaniel, LaTerra Satcher, Makenzie Covey, Aylene Ortega, and Lacie Williams. The class includes a mixture of guards and post players to provide talent and depth to MacAllister's roster.

ASC OUTLOOK

The YellowJackets were picked seventh in the ASC preseason poll, as voted on by head coaches and sports information directors. LeTourneau collected 55 total points in the poll to place seventh.

Hardin-Simmons garnered 13 first-place votes to be picked as the preseason favorite.

Broughton, Hall, and Gaines were all named to the Players to Watch List. 

THE SCHEDULE

Monday is the first of two exhibitions for LeTourneau this season as the YellowJackets will also travel to Laredo to face Texas A&M International on Dec. 29.

The regular season officially opens on Nov. 8 with a trip to face Texas Lutheran.

The home opener is slated for Nov. 11 against Southwestern (1 p.m.) as part of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team. The YellowJackets then hit the road for three straight against Centenary (Nov. 15), Arlington Baptist (Nov. 17), and Hendrix (Nov. 19). 

The YellowJackets return home for a date with Dallas on Nov. 22, the day before Thanksgiving, before opening ASC play on Nov. 30 at home against Hardin-Simmons and Dec. 2 vs. McMurry.

The first chapter of the Hwy. 80 Rivalry with East Texas Baptist takes place on Dec. 14 in Marshall and ETBU comes to Longview on Feb. 1.

The final non-conference game is Dec. 18 vs. St. Thomas.

LeTourneau concludes the regular season at home on Feb. 15 vs. UT Dallas and Feb. 17 against Ozarks.

FOLLOW THE YELLOWJACKETS

Be sure to follow LeTourneau athletics all season long on letuathletics.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram for up-to-date scores, news, and other information.