The #9 University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team starts its search for a 10th straight winning season on the road at the Eagle Club Classic hosted by Carson-Newman College Friday and Saturday, November 22-23, in Jeffersonville, Tennessee.

USI Head Coach Rick Stein, whose Screaming Eagles have posted 55 victories the last two seasons, will have a lot of fresh faces on the bench and will need to find the right combinations soon in 2002-03. USI lost seven players from last season's squad, including two All-GLVC performers and an All-American.

Leading USI's five returning players is senior forward/center Africa Sherrod (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), who was an honorable mention All-GLVC performer last year after averaging 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Sherrod, who was Player of the Week twice in the conference last season, had a strong exhibition game against Indiana State University last weekend. She scored 16 points and 12 rebounds in the 93-50 loss to the Sycamores.

Returning with Sherrod is senior guard/forward Sarah McIntosh (Cabery, Illinois) and senior guard Bethany Miller (Princeton, Indiana). McIntosh came on strong down the stretch for USI a year ago, averaging 7.3 points per game in the last seven contests. Miller averaged 2.7 points and 2.2 assists off the bench.

First off for the USI Eagles in 2002-03 is the Eagle Club Classic host, Carson-Newman, on Friday at 5 p.m. Carson-Newman was 12-14 last season, but was 8-6 in the South Atlantic Conference. Senior guard Monica Ashburn is the Lady Eagles top returning scorer, averaging 12.7 points.

On Saturday, USI will play a Mars Hill College squad that reached the Elite Eight and was 26-5 overall in 2001-02. The Lady Lions, which are ranked 22nd nationally, are led by guard/forward Tiffany Atkins, who had 13.0 points and 6.2 rebounds.

USI's first home game will not be until Thursday, December 5, when the Eagles host the University of Indianapolis in the GLVC home opener at the Physical Activities Center.