Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Picked Second In The 2011-12 SAC Coaches Preseason Poll
November 2, 2011
Bears also receiving votes in the NCAA Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll
 The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team was picked to finish second in the 2011-12 SAC Preseason Coaches Poll and is receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II Preseason Poll. |
Rock Hill, S.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women's Basketball Team was voted to finish second in the 2011-12 South Atlantic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, league officials announced today.
The Bears received a total of 82 points including one first-place vote.
Wingate, which finished as the runner-up in last year's conference tournament and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, received seven first-place votes and was picked to win the regular season title.
Lenoir-Rhyne returns four starters and seven of its top eight scorers from a squad which finished 14-13 last year (11-7 in league play) and tied for third in the conference standings.
L-R is led this year by senior guard Cameron Sealey (Mount Holly, N.C.), who earned All-SAC First-Team honors last season after leading the squad in points (17.9 ppg), free throw percentage (.801), three-pointers made (49) and steals (50). Sealey was a preseason all-conference selection.
Lenoir-Rhyne also welcomes back its second and third-best scorers from 2010-11 in sophomore forward Whitney Brinkley (Asheville, N.C.) and junior guard Whitley Culler (Mount Airy, N.C.) at 9.0 and 8.8 points per game, respectively.
Lenoir-Rhyne is receiving votes (three) in the 2011-12 USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II Top 25 Preseason Poll as well.
Other South Atlantic Conferences schools receiving votes include Wingate (54) and Tusculum (three).
Lenoir-Rhyne opens the 2011-12 season on Friday, November 11, when it hosts Pfeiffer at 8 p.m., as part of the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.
2011-12 South Atlantic Conference
Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Wingate (7) 94
2. Lenoir-Rhyne (1) 82
3. Newberry 72
4. Tusculum 61 (1)
5. Catawba 58 (1)
6. Carson-Newman 56
7. Mars Hill 45
8. Lincoln Memorial 44
9. Anderson 25
10. Brevard 13
2011-12 All-South Atlantic Conference
Women's Basketball Preseason Teams
FIRST TEAM
Zoriah Williams, Carson-Newman
Dana Hicks, Catawba
Cameron Sealey, Lenoir-Rhyne
Dayshalee Salaman, Lincoln Memorial
Taylor Deal, Mars Hill
Kurie Washington, Wingate
SECOND TEAM
Micheala Watkins, Brevard
Anna Schlobohm, Brevard
Tyler Carlson, Mars Hill
Shannon Depew, Carson-Newman
Simone Rutledge, Wingate
Janitsha Williams, Wingate
2011-12 USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II
Top 25 Preseason Poll
1. Clayton State (Ga.) 35-1
2. Bentley (Mass.) 28-5
3. Michigan Tech 31-3
4. Arkansas Tech 30-3
5. Delta State 28-4
6. Fort Lewis (Colo.) 28-3
7. Metro State (Colo.) 30-3
8. Shaw (N.C.) 25-12
9. Wayne State (Neb.) 26-4
10. Lander (S.C.) 29-4
11. Washburn (Kan.) 22-7
12. Alaska-Anchorage 27-7
13. California-San Diego 20-11
14. Grand Canyon (Ark.) 29-3
15. Northwest Missouri State 29-5
16. Wisconsin-Parkside 24-7
17. USC Aiken 27-6
18. Holy Family (Pa.) 24-5
19. California State Tech - Pomona 28-5
20. Tarleton State (Texas) 25-5
21. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 20-8
22. Franklin Pierce (N.H.) 24-8
23. Edinboro (Pa.) 26-4
24. Northeastern State (Okla.) 25-5
25. Drury (Mo.) 20-10
Other Receiving Votes: Dixie State College of Utah 123; Barton College (N.C.) 120; Rollins College (Fla.) 103; Emporia State University (Kan.) 96; Quincy University (Ill.) 93; Fort Valley State University (Ga.) 82; Saint Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) 81; Western Washington University 63; Johnson C Smith University (N.C.) 62; Wingate University (N.C.) 53; University of Central Oklahoma 39; Florida Southern College 38; University of Charleston (W.Va.) 31; University of Tampa (Fla.) 31; University of Arkansas - Fort Smith 29; West Texas A&M University 26; Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 23; Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) 18; Ashland University (Ohio) 12; Assumption College (Mass.) 12; Winona State University (Minn.) 12; California State University - Monterey Bay 11; California University of Pennsylvania 9; Concordia University (Minn.) 9; Limestone College (S.C.) 9; Augustana College (S.D.) 7; Valdosta State University (Ga.) 7; Northern Kentucky University 6; Ouachita Baptist University (Ark.) 6; West Liberty University (W.Va.) 4; Glenville State College (W.Va.) 3; Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.) 3; Tusculum College (Tenn.) 3; Columbus State University (Ga.) 2; Concord College (W.Va.) 2; Miles College (Ala.) 2; Texas Woman's University 1; University of Central Missouri 1.
