BOILING SPRINGS – The Gardner-Webb women's basketball team opens the 2022-2023 season on Monday morning at Clemson, tipping in Littlejohn Coliseum at 11:00.

Head coach Alex Simmons' fifth edition of the Runnin' Bulldogs enters November with high hopes for a deep postseason run, with one of the strongest returning rosters in more than a decade.

Gardner-Webb returns more than 91 percent of its scoring from last season, led by Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year Alasia Smith (14.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg) and All-Big South seniors Jhessyka Williams (16.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and Lauren Bevis (13.2 ppg). Point guard Ki'Ari Cain (9.6 ppg, 4.2 apg) also returns to the starting lineup.

Forwards Layken Cox, Emma Capps and Grace Knutsen also return to the roster, along with guards Micahla Funderburk, L'Mia Littlejohn, Sarah Matthews and Emily Gillis. 

Graduate transfer Christina Deng will provide inside punch after joining the program from Queens (N.C.) University. Deng's rebounding and ability to score around the basket were on display as a first-year player on the Division II level when she averaged 9.4 points and 7.5 boards per game.

Gardner-Webb also signed a pair of high school prospects in guard Tiir Nyok (High Point Christian Academy) and forward Grace Pack (TPLS Christian Academy).

All four of Gardner-Webb's returning starters averaged at least 11.0 points per game against Big South Conference foes last season, and helped the Runnin' Bulldogs to a semifinals berth in the league tournament.

Williams, who has scored 1,376 career points, should be joined in the 1,000-point club by season's end by both Smith and Bevis. Cain is also within striking distance of that mark.

Simmons, a former high school All-America forward who won two national titles as a player under Coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee, is just the fifth head coach in Big South Conference history to lead her team to at least 10 league wins in her first four seasons.

Simmons' team was picked atop the Big South Conference preseason standings in late October, tied with High Point in that role. It marked the first time that GWU had been picked to win the league since joining the Big South in 2008.

Gardner-Webb won the league's regular season crown in 2010 and won the Big South tournament in 2011 to advance to its first NCAA Division I Tournament in the sport.

Following Monday's opener, Gardner-Webb returns home to host UNC Greensboro on Saturday, November 12 (2:00 pm). GWU will play three of its next four at home before hitting the road for a five-game swing after Thanksgiving.

Monday morning's opener will air live on ESPNCLT.com with Jon Gross calling the action for the Runnin' Bulldogs Sports Network. The game will stream on ACC Network Xtra, with Pete Yanity and former Clemson head coach Jim Davis on that call.