ERIE, PA – The Elizabeth City State University Women's Basketball team will start the 2018-19 campaign at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference/Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge hosted by Gannon University on Saturday and Sunday. The PSAC will be represented by host Gannon and Slippery Rock University while the CIAA will be represented by ECSU and Johnson C. Smith University.
 
ECSU is looking to build off of the inaugural campaign for head coach Antonio O. Davis. Coach Davis led the Vikings to a 9-20 mark which was the most wins since the 2014 campaign and the Vikings posted a 2-14 mark in CIAA play. ECSU will be led by senior guard Jalyn Brown who averaged 16.6 points per contest and shot 41 percent from the field. The Vikings will also have a great presence down low with junior forward Devona Stell who averaged 13.1 points per game and 9.6 rebounds per contest.
 
ECSU will start off the classic by facing off against host Gannon at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Gannon finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 16-13 record overall and a 13-9 mark in the PSAC. In their only regular season meeting in the past 10 years, Gannon defeated ECSU 68-50 in the 2017 PSAC/CIAA Challenge that was held at Johnson C. Smith. Gannon has been selected to finish fifth in the PSAC West by the coaches of the conference as they bring back three starters from the 2017-18 campaign. Gannon is led by senior Nicole LaCava who averaged 11.1 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per contest last season.
 
ECSU will follow up the contest against Gannon with a game against Slippery Rock on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Slippery Rock finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 12-16 record overall and a 10-12 mark in PSAC play. The Rock was selected to finish just ahead of Gannon by the league coaches, fourth in the PSAC West as they return all five starters; including senior Ciara Patterson who averaged 15.8 points per contest and junior Brooke Hinderliter who averaged 14.8 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per contest.
 
After competing in the PSAC/CIAA Challenge the Vikings will return home to the friendly confines of the R.L. Vaughan Center to face off against Puerto Rico Bayamon. That contest will be the first in a three game home stand and will tip at 7:30 p.m.