Strong recruiting year gives Lady Lions hope

After last season, Paine women's coach Terence Palmer sat down and looked at the statistics.

In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Lady Lions ranked near or at the bottom in many categories. The stats didn't lie as Paine finished at 6-21.

When it came time for the annual SIAC preseason coaches poll this year, the Lady Lions were picked to finish 11th in the 12-team league.

"You never can tell in the SIAC," Palmer said. "On paper, we had a lot of returners coming back. What we lost was our leading scorer and rebounder."

With a more experienced group, and an influx of newcomers, Palmer is looking to turn it around this season. The Paine women open at 6 p.m. today at Voorhees.

Here's a few things to look forward to this season:

OUT WITH THE OLD: Paine graduated four-year standout LaKeisha Bell, an athletic forward who averaged 16.1 points and 8.8 rebounds a game last season.

"That's losing a lot," Palmer said. "You knew she was going to bring a lot of intensity no matter who we played."

Paine returns just three starters off last year's squad. Forward Brittant Pevey (10.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg) returns to the starting lineup, along with guards Natoria Rowland and Tiffany Beverly. Shanee Butler, 11 points a game last season, will be a key option off the bench.

IN WITH THE NEW: Palmer made major strides with his recruiting efforts. He brought in three freshmen and one transfer.

Antionette McPhail, a 6-foot freshman from Darlington, S.C., is slated to start at power forward. McPhail, an all-state selection, posted a game-high 19 points in the North-South All-Star game in March.

"I think she was under-recruited," Palmer said. "She does a little bit of everything well. She's super long. She's athletic. She shoots the ball well. She rebounds well.

"She probably has some of the best upside of any player to ever come through Paine."

Also, freshman guard Jasmine Faulkner (Swainsboro) and freshman forward Michelle Brown are expected to see significant playing time.

SUDDEN IMPACT: Paine has its first true center since the days of Germaletta Dyson with the addition of 6-2 Areyal LeDeatte, a senior transfer from New Mexico State. LeDeatte shot 50 percent from the floor, while averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 boards a game in limited action her junior season. The previous season, she averaged 17.5 points and 8.1 boards a game at Clarendon Junior College.

"She can score with her back to the basket. She has a good touch," Palmer said.

"She should help us in rebounding. She'll definitely give us a low-post presence we haven't had in a while."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.