HICKORY, N.C. - Head coach Emry Tsitouris, associate head coach Clenzo Ross, and assistant coach Makenzie Buchanan have officially finalized their roster for the 2026-27 campaign. 

"Last season was an incredible year for our program, and we're really proud of everything our players accomplished," said Tsitouris. "Our mindset has always been about continuing to get better. We celebrated what we accomplished, but we know that none of it is guaranteed this year. We have to earn it all over again, and I'm really excited about the group we have coming back and the opportunity we have in front of us."

With 16 players on the roster, Tsitouris believes the depth of the Bears will create healthy competition throughout preseason.

"One of the things I love about this team is that everyone has an opportunity to earn minutes. The way we play requires energy, pace, toughness and depth, and we believe everyone on our roster has the ability to contribute. That competition is going to make us better every single day."

Lenoir-Rhyne will look to build upon its historic 2025–26 season while continuing to raise the standard for Bears Women's Basketball. Last season the Bears went 26-6, advanced to the first NCAA Regional final in program history, and ended the year ranked No. 18 in the country. 

"Last season was an incredible year for our program, and we're really proud of everything our players accomplished. But our mindset has always been about continuing to get better. Our players understand that last year's success doesn't mean anything if we're not willing to work for it again. We want to continue to raise the standard of Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball, and I think this group is hungry to do that. We have a lot of experience, we have players coming back from injury, we have young players ready to take another step and we have two freshmen who are excited to get started. We're really excited about where this team can go."

Key players from last year's squad:

#11 Abigail Brown - Forward | 6'1" | Sophomore | Cary, N.C. | Green Hope HS

• "Abigail had an incredible freshman year, and she earned every bit of the recognition she received. Being named the SAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-Conference player as a freshman is a tremendous accomplishment, but what excites me most is knowing how much room she still has to grow. She impacted the game in so many ways for us last year, averaging 14.9 points and 6.1 rebounds while also giving us 58 blocks. She has a tremendous upside, and we're excited to see what another year of experience and confidence will allow her to do."

#2 Aaliyah El - Guard | 5'8" | Senior | Charlotte, N.C. | Julius Chambers HS | Mars Hill

• "Aaliyah had an outstanding year and established herself as one of the best players in our conference and in Division II basketball. Being named First Team All-SAC, D2CCA All-Region First Team and an Honorable Mention All-American is a testament to the work she put in. She averaged 17.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game, and she brings so much competitiveness to everything she does. We're expecting her to continue to grow as a leader and take another step this year. She has the ability to be a really special player for us."

#1 Amiya Porter - Guard | 5'5" | Junior | Lawrenceville, Ga. | Hebron Christian HS | Mars Hill

• "Amiya was the glue that held our team together last year, both on and off the court. Her value to our team goes far beyond what shows up in the stat sheet. She was our primary ball handler, averaged 3.4 assists while taking care of the basketball, and was a huge part of an offense that finished second in the nation in scoring at 84.4 points per game. She also averaged 7.3 points per game and had a school-record 24 points in our NCAA Tournament game against Augusta. We simply would not have had the season we had without Amiya. She made everyone around her better, and that is incredibly valuable to our team."

#5 Elyseia Brown - Guard | 5'9" | Senior | Virginia Beach, Va. | Salem HS | Mars Hill

• "Elyseia gives us another player who can really stretch the floor. She has worked extremely hard on her game, and her ability to knock down shots from three gives us another weapon in an offense that is built around pace and spacing. I'm excited to see her continue to gain confidence and make an even bigger impact this season."

#0 Tatum Bowen - Guard | 5'9" | Senior | Charlotte, N.C. | 1 of 1 Prep Academy | Mars Hill

• "Tatum is someone who can really change a game with her ability to shoot the basketball. Holding the school record with 10 threes in a game says a lot about the confidence and ability she has as a shooter. We want to continue creating opportunities for her to play to that strength while continuing to grow the rest of her game."

Returning Players Poised for Bigger Roles:

#22 Madilyn Winterton - Guard | 5'10" | Sophomore | Daleville, Va. | Lord Botetourt HS

• Winterton is one player Tsitouris expects to have a breakout season after serving primarily as a defensive specialist last year.
• "Madilyn is someone I really expect to have a breakout season for us. Last year she embraced her role as a defensive specialist and did it extremely well. She made winning plays for us, and now she has a year of experience under her belt. I'm excited to see what that experience does for her confidence and her overall game this year."

#24 Lauren Arnold - Forward | 5'11" | Junior | Salisbury, N.C. | West Rowan HS | Mars Hill

• Arnold played an important role in the Bears' success despite not necessarily having statistics that jump off the page.
• "Lauren was a huge key to our success last season. Her statistics may not jump off the page, but she completely bought into her role and executed it extremely well. She made several clutch plays for us throughout the season that helped us secure the regular-season championship. She understands what winning basketball looks like, and I'm really excited to watch her continue to grow this season."

#23 Trista Charles - Forward | 6'0" | Sophomore | Winston-Salem, N.C. | Oak Grove HS

• Charles enters the season with another year of experience after returning from an injury last year. She had several big performances, including scoring 19 points in Lenoir-Rhyne's NCAA Tournament game against Augusta, which is tied for fourth in program history alongside her sister, former Bear Jazmine Charles.
• "Trista is someone I'm really excited about. She was coming off an injury last year, so having another year of experience and being able to build confidence within our system is going to be really important for her. She had several big games for us last year, including 19 points against Augusta in the NCAA Tournament. To see her name tied with her sister Jazmine in the record book is pretty special, and I think Trista has another level she can reach this year."

#30 Peyton Harvey - Guard | 5'8" | Sophomore | Asheville, N.C. | AC Reynolds HS

• Harvey enters her sophomore season after taking on the challenge of being a freshman point guard last year. Harvey averaged 4.2 points per game and battled through injuries throughout the season.
• "Peyton took on a really difficult role last year as a freshman point guard. There is a lot that goes into being responsible for the basketball and running a team, and she handled that challenge while also battling through some injuries. Peyton can really score the basketball at a high level, and I think a year of experience is going to make a huge difference for her. I'm expecting a really big year from her."

#3 Sarah Burton - Guard | 5'9" | Redshirt Junior | Clinton, Tenn. | Clinton HS | UVA Wise

• "Sarah is a tough, high-IQ player who brings a lot of versatility to our team. She is a strong driver who can attack the basket, but she also has the ability to stretch the floor from the three-point line. She only got to play in our first two games last season before suffering a season-ending injury, so we are really excited to have her back. Having her experience, toughness and skill set back on the floor is going to be really important for us."

#44 Emma Pendleton - Forward | 6'2" | Junior | Lawsonville, N.C. | Reagan HS

• Pendleton returns for her senior season and provides the Bears with a different look in the post.
• "Emma gives us something really valuable in the post. She has the ability to be a dominant presence down low and gives us a different look offensively. She is a seasoned player on our roster, and I'm really excited for her senior season and the opportunity she has to lead this team."

#13 Jodi King - Foward | 5'11" | Sophomore | Wingate, N.C. | 1 of 1 Prep Academy

• King enters her sophomore season with plenty of potential.
• "Jodi has all the tools to become a really good player for us. She can score the basketball in a variety of ways, especially inside, but she also has the ability to stretch the floor. That fits exactly what we want to do offensively. I'm excited to see her continue to develop and become more confident in her game."

#10 Kendall Murphy - Guard | 5'8" | Redshirt Freshman | Knoxville, Tenn. | Bearden HS

• "Kendall is a tremendous shooter and gives us a legitimate three-point threat, but she is so much more than just her ability to shoot the basketball. Her motor is one of the things that makes her special. Despite her size, she was our best rebounder during the last preseason. She plays with so much energy and toughness, and having her back is going to be really important for us. We're excited to have her healthy and see the impact she can make this season."

#25 Taylor Romano - Guard | 5'8" | Sophomore | Boca Raton, Fla. | Buford HS

• Romano returns after missing all of last season with a season-ending injury.
• "Taylor is one of the most disciplined people on our team and has an unbelievable work ethic. She has worked extremely hard throughout her recovery, and we're really excited to have her back. She can shoot the basketball at a high level, which fits exactly how we want to play, and having another player who can stretch the floor is going to be really valuable for us."

Incoming Freshman:

#20 Meredith Wike - Guard | 5'10" | Freshman | Taylorsville, N.C. | Alexander Central HS

• "Meredith is coming off an incredible high school career at Alexander Central, and we're really excited to have her join our program. She was a four-year All-Conference player, was named the Northwestern 6A-7A Conference Player of the Year, earned Third Team All-State honors and finished her career as Alexander Central's second all-time leading scorer with 1,788 points. She averaged 18.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game as a senior, so she has proven that she can impact the game in a lot of different ways. We're excited to see her bring that competitiveness and experience to Lenoir-Rhyne."

#4 Evaiya Mitchell - Guard | 5'5" | Freshman | Oak Ridge, Tenn. | Oak Ridge HS

• "Evaiya had an outstanding career at Oak Ridge, and we're really excited to have her become a Bear. She had an incredible senior season, averaging 23.1 points, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game while leading her team to the Tennessee State Regionals. She scored 671 points in a single season, which ranks ninth in Oak Ridge program history, and knocked down 64 three-pointers, ranking third in school history for threes made in a season. Her accomplishments earned her First Team All-District, First Team All-District Tournament and All-Region Tournament Team honors. What excites me just as much is her ability to defend and compete at a high level. She comes from a great program and understands what it takes to play winning basketball. We think she has a tremendous future at Lenoir-Rhyne and are excited to watch her continue to grow."