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JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State women's basketball will usher in the 2011-12 season on Friday with a visit to Southeastern Conference member Mississippi State.  Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at MSU's Humphrey Coliseum.

The 2011-12 season marks JSU's 17th NCAA Division I season and 35th women's basketball campaign.  The Gamecocks begin their season under head coach Annette Watts after posting a 10-21 overall mark in Watts' first season at JSU.  Watts guided her first Gamecock squad to the quarterfinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and is just the second coach in Jax State history to take a team to the postseason in the first season in charge of the program.

JSU returns three starters off last year's team with seniors Destiny Lane and Brittany Manning.  Lane turned in 8.2 points per game, while Manning averaged 7.9 points as a junior.  Junior Danielle Vaughn, who has led the OVC in field goal shooting percentage as a freshman and sophomore, is the squad's top returning point producer.  The Huntsville, Ala.-post player scored 9.3 points per game along with 7.3 rebounds per contest.

Jax State began last season as one of the most experienced squads in the OVC, but this season ten new faces will be on the Watts' team.  JSU's roster features eight freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers.  A pair of freshmen could start the season opener against MSU as rookie Candace Morton ran the point guard position in JSU's exhibition contest last Sunday against Emory.  Morton, a native of Lexington, Ky., played 21 minutes in her first collegiate action on the collegiate level.  Briana Morrow, who hails from Nashville, Tenn., looked solid in her debut with 19 points and seven rebounds.  Morton and Morrow are bidding to become the first pair of freshman to start on opening day since the 2001-02 season opener.  In 2001-02, former Gamecocks Shanika Freeman and Ann-Marie Healy earned starting nods in the season opener versus South Alabama.

For the second-straight year, JSU will go head-to-head with a team from the SEC.  Last season the Gamecocks gave Auburn fits before falling, 79-60, last December in Auburn.  Friday's meeting with MSU will be the third time between the two programs with the Lady Bulldogs taking the first two games in convincing fashion.  The two teams last met on Dec. 15, 2001 in Starkville, Miss.

The Lady Bulldogs of MSU finished the 2010-11 season with a lot of momentum, winning three out of their last four, including an opening-round win in the SEC Tournament over Auburn.  MSU is led by Sharon Fanning-Otis, who is in her 17th season in charge of the women's program, has guided MSU to six NCAA Tournament appearances during her tenure at MSU.  Fanning-Otis returns four starters from last year's team, including leading scorer Diamber Johnson.  Johnson tallied 12.8 points per game as a junior.

Jax State is 7-9 in season openers since the 1883-84 season and will be looking to open the season with a win for the second consecutive year as JSU topped Stillman College this time last year.

Friday's opener is the first of five games in the season's first 11 days for Jax State.  JSU continues its SEC tour on Tuesday, Nov. 15 in Lexington, Ky. to face nationally-ranked Kentucky.  The Gamecocks will make their home debut on Thursday, Nov. 17 against LeMoyne-Owen at 7 p.m. in Pete Mathews Coliseum.  JSU closes out the pre-Thanksgiving schedule with a short trip to Kennesaw, Ga. to tangle with the Owls of Kennesaw State on Nov. 19 before hosting Lipscomb on Monday, Nov. 21.