THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University women's basketball team will open its season on Oct. 31 with a difficult game versus Reinhardt University.  The matchup will be part of the week-long homecoming festivities for the Lady Night Hawks, who were picked to finish fourth in a talented field of Sun Conference teams.
 
If the last two seasons are any indication, Thomas could be in line for an above .500 season, as the team's win total, both in conference and out, has steadily climbed during head coach Coretta Brown's tenure.
 
Brown, a former WNBA player, is entering her third season in charge of the Lady Night Hawks.  Last season, her team posted 12 wins, a 33-percent improvement from the previous year.  Should TU duplicate its impressive progress, the team has a chance to finish in the upper-third of the conference this season.
 
The Lady Night Hawks first opponent, Reinhardt, is coming off of an impressive season during which the team went 19-11 (15-5 Appalachian Athletic) and earned several postseason awards.  The Lady Eagles finished second in the AAC last season but, thanks to a key nucleus of returning players, the team will have a legitimate shot to win the conference title this season.
 
Returning forward Kateca Favors and returning guards Erika Woodfin and JessAnn Nix all earned All-Conference honors in 2014 while leading Reinhardt to the school's second 19-win season since 2012.
 
Favors was named to the AAC All-Defensive Team as she averaged nearly 10 boards per game, including a contest during which she grabbed a whopping 20 rebounds.  Woodfin was named Second Team All-Conference, while Nix was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team.
 
The contest should be a great measuring stick of offseason improvement for the Lady Night Hawks, whose win total has steadily climbed since 2013.
 
Thomas University's roster has the type of veteran experience and youthful talent present that is required for a team to win in a difficult conference.  The Lady Night Hawks' roster currently holds three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.
 
The team will look to seniors Laura Cherranfant, Bra'shey Ali, and Bria Joyner-Williams to shoulder the scoring and rebounding loads in the early going.  The Lady Night Hawks' first game is scheduled to tip off at 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 31.
 
For up-to-date information on this game and other TU Athletics, visit http://www.TUNightHawks.com. Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, play-by-play, and feature stories of your TU women's basketball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksWBKB.