WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Salem basketball team ushers in a new era on Wednesday, Nov. 13, when it opens the 2019-20 season against Piedmont International at 6 p.m. in Varsity Gym on the Salem campus.
One of those changes is the addition of head coach Quntashea Lewis, a 2016 Salem graduate, who returns to the program after spending one season as the assistant coach at Mount Saint Mary College. Lewis, who is one of only three players in Salem history to score 1,000 career points, graduated Salem in 2016 with a major in exercise science and a minor in coaching.
While at Salem, Lewis was named Team Most Valuable Player, Great South Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Salem College Anne Woodward Student-Athlete of the Year, D3 Hoops All-Region 3rd Team and NC Collegiate Sports Information Association First Team College Division All-State as a senior. In her final campaign with the Spirits, she led the Great South Athletic Conference in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game. Lewis was also second in league rebounding (13.1 per game) and steals (2.2 per game).
The Spirits roster consists of eight first year players, two sophomores and one junior. The lone upperclassman on the roster is guard Tyler Davenport, while Sydney Bowen and Lauren Privette bring a year of experience at Salem to the court for their sophomore seasons.
Privette is the top returning scorer (148 points) and rebounder (170 total rebounds) from a season ago. She topped double figure scoring on five occasions during her first year with the program, notching a single-game season-high 11 against Piedmont International on Jan. 12, 2019.
Privette, who had double-digit rebounds in six games, enjoyed her single-game season-high (14) in rebounds at William Peace on Jan. 19. Her first year also included a trio of double-double outings against Randolph (Nov. 14), Methodist (Jan. 16) and Meredith (Jan. 26).
Bowen also topped the 100-point mark in 2018-19, finishing with 111 points due in large part to hitting 20-of-84 3-point field goal attempts. Her best single-game outing came at Johnson & Wales on Jan. 29, where she tallied 22 points by virtue of an 8-for-18 outing from the floor. She poured in 17 against N.C. Wesleyan on Jan. 6, hitting 6-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
In six games over the course of the season, Davenport finished with 54 points, six rebounds and one assist. She emerged with double figure scoring in three of her six games, netting a single-game season-high 23 versus Averett on Jan. 2. In the clash with the Cougars she was 10-of-18 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.
The clash with cross-town rival Piedmont International will give Spirit fans a chance to see the eight-member first year class that consist of Alize Brooks, Karina Cosentino, Caroline Deal, Cayla Harris, Haley McKinney, Erika Neal, Dionne Sampson and Aubrey Slaughter.
It is also the first game of the season for Piedmont International, who has clashed with Ferrum, UNC Pembroke and Milligan College in exhibition contests.
For more information on Salem basketball check out www.salemspirits.com.
