SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Chattanooga has been selected by the women’s basketball coaches to win the Southern Conference regular season title in 2011-12. The Lady Mocs received nine of 11 first-place votes and 99 points overall, just 11 points ahead of second-place Appalachian State.
Receiving two first-place votes and 88 points overall was Appalachian State, which was picked to finish second in the league. The Mountaineers, who claimed the regular season title, narrowly lost to Samford, 57-54 in the tournament final last season. ASU returns three starters this season and represented the Southern Conference in the WNIT where the team fell to South Carolina, 67-54.
Elon was picked to finish the 2011-12 season in third place. The Phoenix had the longest postseason run of any league team last season as they competed in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). Elon defeated USC Upstate 103-72 in the first round before falling to UAB, 59-50.
The 2011 Southern Conference tournament champion, Samford, was picked to finish fourth in the league. The Bulldogs return three starters, but lost standouts Emily London and Savannah Hill.
Picked to finish fifth in the conference was Davidson, which returns preseason player of the year Sophia Alexandravicius and 2010-11 Freshman of the Year Laura Murray.
Furman (55) was selected to finish sixth, with Georgia Southern (51) close behind in seventh.
UNCG (35), one of two teams with a new coach this season, was picked to finish eighth, ahead of Western Carolina (27).
College of Charleston (21) and Wofford (15) round out the preseason coaches’ poll.
The coaches also selected the preseason all-conference team. Alexandravicius is joined by teammate Murray on the preseason team.
Elon and Chattanooga each have two players on the team. Representing the Phoenix are juniors Kelsey Evans and Ali Ford, while junior Kayla Christopher and redshirt senior Whitney Hood are the two Mocs on the all-conference team.
Also named to the team was Appalachian State junior Anna Freeman, Furman junior Kaitlin Murphy, Georgia Southern junior Meredith Frye and Wofford senior April Moorhouse.
The Southern Conference women’s basketball season begins Friday, November 11 with ten teams taking the court. The 2012 Southern Conference Tournament will be held March 2-5 in Asheville, N.C.
2011-12 SoCon Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
|
Team
(1st Place Votes)
|
Total Points
|
|
1. Chattanooga (9)
|
99
|
|
2. Appalachian State (2)
|
88
|
|
3. Elon
|
76
|
|
4. Samford
|
71
|
|
5. Davidson
|
67
|
|
6. Furman
|
55
|
|
7. Georgia Southern
|
51
|
|
8. UNCG
|
35
|
|
9. Western Carolina
|
27
|
|
10. College of Charleston
|
21
|
|
11. Wofford
|
15
|
2011-12 SoCon Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Sophia Alexandravicius, Davidson
Laura Murray, Davidson
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Ali Ford, Elon
Kaitlin Murphy, Furman
Meredith Frye, Georgia Southern
Kayla Christopher, Chattanooga
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
April Moorhouse, Wofford
SoCon Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Sophia Alexandravicius, Davidson