The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Basketball Preseason Poll and All-Conference Teams
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The Anderson University Trojans have been picked to win the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship as voted by the League's head coaches. Anderson collected four top votes and received 117 points from the panel.
The Trojans turned in an overall record of 27-5 and a 20-2 Conference mark last season and earned the South Atlantic Conference's bid to the 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
Landing in in the No. 2 spot in the poll was Wingate, who received three first-place votes and 112 points. The Bulldogs finished the 2014-15 season with a 22-10 overall record and a 19-3 record in League play. Wingate also advanced to the second round in last year's NCAA Women's Basketball Championship tournament.
At No. 3 in the poll was Catawba; The Indians totaled 109 points from the panel. Catawba closed out the season at 18-12 overall and 14-8 in the SAC and played in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
Newberry, the defending SAC Champion, landed at the No. 4 slot with 107 points. The Wolves defeated Anderson to win the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship after turning in an overall record of 21-11 and 14-8 League record.
Carson-Newman rounded out the top five as it garnered 106 points, earning three top votes in the process. The Eagles finished the 2014-15 season at 19-11 overall and 13-9 in the South Atlantic Conference.
Lenoir-Rhyne came in at No. 6 with 82 points, followed by Lincoln Memorial with 78 points. Mars Hill's 60 points was good for No. 8, while Coker picked up 43 points to come in at No. 9. Brevard landed at No. 10 with 41 points and Tusculum (37 points) and Queens (29 points) finished up the poll.
The South Atlantic Conference also announced its Preseason All-Conference Teams with Newberry's Samantha Creed headlining the first-team. A first team All-SAC selection a season ago, Creed was tabbed an honorable mention All-American by the Division II Bulletin and earned WBCA honorable mention All-American a season-ago. Creed averaged 16.6 points per contest for the Wolves last season, placing fourth in the Conference.
Bri Johnson of Catawba and Katie Williams of Brevard joined Creed on the first-team. Johnson picked up 13.5 points per game last season to earn first-team All-SAC honors, while Williams poured in 16.8 ppg to earn second-team honors; she placed third in the SAC standings last season.
Jasmine Franklin of Anderson, Tatum Burstrom of Carson-Newman and Madison Lenox from Brevard rounded out the list of preseason first-team honorees. Franklin posted 10.6 points per game last season, while Burstrom finished the year with 10.1 ppg and Lenox closed out her 2014-15 campaign with 15.3 points per outing.
Earning second-team honors were Morgan Cooper of Lenoir-Rhyne, Jessica Simerly of Carson-Newman, Wingate's Morgan Mcgee, Alexis Dillard from Anderson, Carson-Newman's Jai Jai McLaughlin and Megan Pittman from Lincoln Memorial.
The 2015-16 Women's Basketball season gets underway on Friday, Nov. 13.
Women's Preseason Poll - Points
1. Anderson – 117
2. Wingate – 112
3. Catawba – 112
4. Newberry – 107
5. Carson-Newman – 106
6. Lenoir-Rhyne – 82
7. Lincoln Memorial – 78
8. Mars Hill – 60
9. Coker – 43
10. Brevard – 41
11. Tusculum – 37
12. Queens – 29
Women's Preseason All-Conference
First Team:
Samantha Creed, Newberry
Bri Johnson, Catawba
Katie Williams, Brevard
Jasmine Franklin, Anderson
Tatum Burstrom, Carson-Newman
Madison Lenox, Brevard
Second Team:
Morgan Cooper, Lenoir-Rhyne
Jessica Simerly, Carson-Newman
Morgan Mcgee, Wingate
Alexis Dillard, Anderson
Jai Jai McLaughlin, Carson-Newman
Megan Pittman, Lincoln Memorial