Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Lady Blue Hose Picked Finish Fifth in Preseason
Women's Basketball Coaches Poll

HICKORY, N.C. – Presbyterian’s women’s basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2006-07 season by the league’s nine head coaches, the league announced on Wednesday morning at the South Atlantic Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Media Day. 

Presbyterian finished last season at 21-7, advancing to the quarterfinals of the Food Lion SAC Women’s Basketball Championship.

PC opens its 2006-07 campaign at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15 against Lander in Greenwood, S.C.

Wingate University head coach Johnny Jacumin, who announced that he will be retiring after this season, his 27th as head coach of the Bulldogs, and his squad were the overwhelming favorite to win the 2007 championship, receiving eight first-place votes and 80 total points in a vote of the league's nine coaches.

Led by two-time SAC Player of the Year Tanetra Barrett, the Bulldogs advanced to the South Atlantic Region finals last year. They reached the region semifinals in 2005.

Wingate placed three on the preseason All-Conference first team, led by Barrett, who led the SAC in scoring last year, as well as sophomore guard Anna Atkinson, the 2006 SAC Freshman of the Year, and senior center Emily Paffrath, who led the conference in blocked shots.

Wingate also is ranked ninth in the DII Bulletin preseason poll.

Newberry, the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament champions, are picked to finish second. Newberry received one first-place vote and 63 total points.

Tonique Frasier, the Most Valuable Player of last year's tournament, is one of three Lady Indians named to the preseason All-Conference team. Frasier, who led Newberry in scoring and rebounding last year, was a first team selection, while Carnicha Bellinger, who was one of the league's top freshmen two years ago, but sat out last season with an injury, was named to the second team, as was junior guard Monica Alexander.

Carson-Newman is picked to finish in third place. Ashley Tipton set a school record for three-point shooting last year as a freshman.

Tusculum finished fourth in the poll with 58 points. The Pioneers advanced to the finals of the 2006 Food Lion SAC Tournament and placed a league-high four players on the preseason All-Conference team.

Leading scorer Chassity Martin and Brooke Underwood, who led all NCAA divisions in assists per game at 8.8, were both named to the first team. Ashli Oliver, one of the top three-point shooters in the country last year as a freshman, and Stephany Neptune, the team's top rebounder and another All-Freshman team member, were named to the second team.

Catawba picked up 35 points to finish sixth in the poll. Senior forward Tamekia Foster is a second team preseason All-Conference pick.

Mars Hill is picked to finish seventh. The Lions have a new coach in Jennifer Nance.

Lenoir-Rhyne received 20 points to finish eighth in the poll. Senior forward Ashley Gordon is a returning starter for the Bears.

New league member Lincoln Memorial rounds out the poll with 18 points.

Women's Preseason All-Conference 
First Team
Tonique Frasier, Newberry
Chassity Martin, Tusculum
Brooke Underwood, Tusculum
Tanetra Barrett, Wingate
Anna Atkinson, Wingate
Emily Paffrath, Wingate 

Second Team
Tamekia Foster, Catawba
Abby DeBusk, Mars Hill
Carnicha Bellinger, Newberry
Monica Alexander, Newberry
Ashli Oliver, Tusculum
Stephany Neptune, Tusculum

Back to Women's Basketball