Coastal Carolina women's basketball open season Friday night

Coastal Carolina women’s basketball coach Jaida Williams still isn’t giving away many details about the new style of play she has implemented for the Chanticleers this season, but the answers will come soon enough.

The Chants open their season Friday night at The HTC Center against Mid-Atlantic Christian, a non-NCAA member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

“I think [the excitement level] would be, on a scale of 1-10, a 25,” Williams said. “Everybody’s really excited and ready to go. Everyone’s hungry. [We’ve] been waiting for this moment. Of course, our student-athletes wish it was here two weeks ago and our staff wishes it was two months later so we have more practice time, but I think everybody’s ready. We’re ready to play.”

The Coastal Carolina women will be looking to take a step forward in Williams’ third year with the program after finishing 12-18 overall and 6-14 in the Big South last season.

The Chants return three players who started a bulk of last season – junior point guard Ced Gibson (10.7 points per game), senior guard Stephanie Isaacs (7.7) and junior guard/forward Alexis Robinson (6.0 points, 8.1 rebounds per game) – but they lose their top two scorers as standout guard AJ Jordan graduated and productive forward Anna Vogt left the program in the offseason to move closer to home.

Williams said Thursday her starting lineup for the opener will be Gibson at point guard along with senior guard Nicole Isaacs, sophomore guard Jas Adams, Robinson and freshman center Patricia Albert.

Adams started nine games as a rookie last season and averaged 8.5 points. Nicole Isaacs had to sit out last season after transferring from Manhattan.

Albert, meanwhile, has been the top newcomer so far. The 6-foot-4 center from Chicago, Ill., has exceeded the coaches’ early expectations.

“That is probably one of the most encouraging things,” Williams said. “She still has a ways to go, but I didn’t think she would make her way into the starting lineup as quick as she has. She commands attention. She’s a tough rebounder. When she’s locked into doing it, it will be tough to find someone who can stop her from doing it.”

As for that new system Williams first mentioned at Big South media day last month, fans will just have to wait and see.

“We’ll see. Our student-athletes love, love, love the new system they’re playing in, so we’re really excited about it,” she said.

“We’re looking for movement and we’re definitely looking to share the basketball, looking to drive our assist numbers up. That’s probably the most important [emphasis] we’ve been harping on with our student-athletes. ... We want to make sure we stay together, share the basketball and take care of the ball. That’s key for us.”

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 5:26 PM with the headline "Coastal Carolina women's basketball open season Friday night."