SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Chattanooga Mocs have been tabbed the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference women’s basketball title for the fourth consecutive season, according to a vote by the league’s head coaches. Chattanooga senior forward Jasmine Joyner was named the SoCon Preseason Player of the Year. A 2016 all-conference selection, Joyner led the SoCon in rebounds (9.3 rpg) and blocked shots (4.0 bpg). She also led the Mocs in scoring (12.9 ppg), while shooting an efficient 46.5 percent from the field last season. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes as part of the balloting.
Head coach Jim Foster returns four starters and 12 lettermen from a team that finished 24-8 a season ago and posted a 12-2 mark in conference play. In addition to sharing the league’s regular-season crown with Mercer last season, the Mocs won the Southern Conference tournament and earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in 2016. Chattanooga was picked first in preseason balloting with 47 points on the strength of five first-place votes.
Mercer was slotted second (45) and received three first-place votes. Head coach Susie Gardner led the Bears to a 24-9 mark in her sixth season at Mercer. The Bears went 12-2 in league play to claim a share of the regular-season title in 2016 with Chattanooga and advanced to the title game of the league tournament. Mercer then advanced to the postseason and participated in the WNIT.
Samford (32) edged ETSU (31) for third place in the preseason balloting. Furman claimed fifth place (30), while Western Carolina (17) placed sixth.
UNCG (12) and Wofford (10) were picked seventh and eighth, respectively, to round out the poll.
The coaches also selected a 10-member preseason all-conference team. Joyner was joined on the team by teammates Queen Alford and Keiana Gilbert. Six of the league’s eight teams had at least one representative on the preseason squad.
ETSU placed Shamauria Bridges and Tianna Tarter on the preseason all-conference team. Furman’s Whitney Bunn, Mercer’s Kahlia Lawrence and Sydni Means, Samford’s Hannah Nichols and Western Carolina’s Ace Easter all earned spots on the preseason squad.
Five of the eight Southern Conference teams will take the floor on Friday, Nov. 11, to start the regular season. The 2017 Southern Conference Championship presented by General Shale will be held March 2-5 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C.
Predicted Order of Finish
Team (1st-Place Votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (5) 47
2. Mercer (3) 45
3. Samford 32
4. ETSU 31
5. Furman 30
6. Western Carolina 17
7. UNCG 12
8. Wofford 10
2016-17 Preseason All-Conference Team
Shamauria Bridges, ETSU
Tianna Tarter, ETSU
Whitney Bunn, Furman
Kahlia Lawrence, Mercer
Sydni Means, Mercer
Hannah Nichols, Samford
Queen Alford, Chattanooga
Keiana Gilbert, Chattanooga
Jasmine Joyner, Chattanooga
Ace Easter, Western Carolina
2016-17 Preseason Player of the Year
Jasmine Joyner, Chattanooga
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