Women tabbed 3rd in preseason poll
11/3/2011 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Sam Houston State has been picked third in the West Division and received two first place votes in the 2012 Southland Conference women's basketball preseason head coaches' poll released this week by the league office.
Last year the Bearkats were tabbed to finish last in the division but rolled to a Southland Conference West Division co-championship with an 11-5 league record.
With all five starters returning for 2012, the Bearkats look ready to out do their preseason pcik again.
McNeese State and UTSA women's basketball teams have been selected as the preseason favorites to win the Southland Conference East and West Divisions, respectively.
McNeese State, the defending regular-season and conference tournament champion, received nine first-place votes and 64 points in both the coaches' poll.
UTSA was picked first in the West Division. The Roadrunners received six first-place votes in the coaches' poll with 60 points.
Central Arkansas, Lamar, Northwestern State, Nicholls State and Southeastern Louisiana follow the Cowgirls in that order in the preseason rankings.
Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, UT-Arlington, Texas State and A&M-Corpus Christi fill the second through sixth spots in the West respectively.
The top two teams in each division automatically qualify for the 2012 Southland Conference Basketball Tournament March 6-9, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The four teams with the next-best winning percentage round out the tournament's field of eight.
The Sam Houston women's basketball team plays an exhibition at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum on Tuesday Nov. 8 then begins regular season action on Sunday Nov. 13 with a 3:30 p.m. contest with UT-Tyler.
Tickets for women's basketball home games are available now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Sam Houston athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The ticket office telephone is (936) 294-1729.
2011-12 Women's Basketball Preseason Head Coaches Poll
East Division
|
Place |
Team (first place votes) |
Total |
|
1. |
McNeese State (9) |
64 |
|
2. |
Central Arkansas (2) |
54 |
|
3. |
Lamar (1) |
50 |
|
4. |
Northwestern State |
33 |
|
5. |
Nicholls State |
23 |
|
6. |
Southeastern Louisiana |
22 |
West Division
|
Place |
Team (first place votes) |
Total |
|
1. |
UTSA(6) |
60 |
|
2. |
Stephen F. Austin (4) |
56 |
|
3. |
Sam Houston State (2) |
52 |
|
4. |
UT Arlington |
31 |
|
5. |
Texas State |
26 |
|
6. |
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
21 |
