Tip-Off: The Chicago State women's basketball team begins its 2011-12 schedule tonight at the Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center against rival Loyola with the opening tip set for 7 p.m. Tonight's contest is the first of three home contests for the Green and White to open the year.
Scouting Chicago State: CSU and ninth-year head coach Angela Jackson welcomes back four letterwinners, including two starters, from last season's 24-10 squad that claimed its first Great West Conference title and advanced to the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational. Senior guard/forward Janay Dockery (Detroit, MI/Martin Luther King) is the Cougars' top returning player as she averaged 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, four assists and 2.7 steals a game, while senior guard/forward Natalie Marlowe (South Milwaukee, WI/South Milwaukee) is another top returnee for CSU at 7.4 points and a team-best 4.1 assists per game. The Cougars also added six newcomers to the roster this season.
Scouting Loyola: Loyola brings back four starters from last season's team, led by junior guard Monica Albano, who averaged 16.7 points a game and shot 38 percent from three-point range in 2010-11. Albano was selected Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League and finished fifth in the league in scoring last year. Junior guard Patrice King and sophomore forward Troy Hambric are two of the Ramblers' six newcomers on third-year head coach Eric Simpson's squad. LU fell to Wisconsin-Parkside by a score of 60-53 in an exhibition game on Oct. 28.
Up Next: The Cougars continue their season-opening homestand on Monday, Nov. 14 against 2011 NCAA Tournament participant Northern Iowa with a start time of 7 p.m.
