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 Emily Clarke was named 2009-10 Preseason All-Southern Conference. |
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Nov. 6, 2009
LINK TO ARCHIVED VIDEO TWIT CHAT WITH MIDDLETON AND SWAYNE
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's basketball was picked fifth by the Southern Conference women's basketball coaches and junior guard/forward Emily Clarke was named to the 10-member Preseason All-Southern Conference list.
The Catamounts are the defending 2009 Southern Conference Tournament champions, but lost three starters to last year's 22-12 squad. Western Carolina returns two starters and nine letterwinners under new Head Coach Karen Middleton.
Clarke is the lone representative on the Preseason All-Conference list. She was a 2009 Southern Conference Second Team All-tournament selection and ranked third on the team last season averaging 9.4 points per game. She scored in double figures 13 times and led the team in three-point percentage with 43.4 percent.
For the third consecutive year, Chattanooga has been selected by the Southern Conference women's basketball coaches to win the SoCon regular season title in 2009-10. Chattanooga received 98 points overall, seven points ahead of second-place Samford. Receiving the other two first-place votes and 91 points overall was Samford, which was picked to finish second in the league. The Bulldogs return four starters from a team that went 22-7 overall and finished second in the conference with a 16-4 SoCon record last season, their first season in the conference.
College of Charleston (84) was picked to finish third and returns three starters to a team that 14-6 overall and 23-8 in league play. Picked to finish fourth in the league was Davidson (64), which returns three starters.
Georgia Southern (56) was picked to finish at sixth, while UNC Greensboro (54) came in at seventh. Appalachian State and Furman (31) tied for eighth, followed by Elon (26) at 10th and Wofford (12) at 11th.
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College of Charleston, Davidson and Samford also each had two players on the team. Representing the Cougars were senior Jade Hughes and junior Tonia Gerty. Juniors Alex Thompson and Ashley Lax were tabbed from the Wildcats, while juniors Emily London and Savannah Hill were picked from the Bulldogs. Also named to the team were Furman senior Lee Stephens.
Western Carolina will play its lone exhibition game on Saturday hosting Tusculum at 7 p.m. Saturday. Fans who come to the game with their football ticket from the Western Carolina game against Elon AND are wearing purple will be admitted free.
Tusculum is receiving votes in the 2009-10 USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Preseason Coaches' Poll, after posting a 26-6 season last year en route to the program's second consecutive South Atlantic Conference title and a berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament.
After hosting the exhibition game against Tusculum, Western Carolina will embark on a two-game road trip to open the season at Richmond and East Carolina beginning Friday November 13.
SoCon Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
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Team (1st Place Votes) |
Total Points |
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1. Chattanooga (9) |
98 |
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2. Samford (2) |
91 |
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3. College of Charleston |
84 |
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4. Davidson |
64 |
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5. Western Carolina |
58 |
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6. Georgia Southern |
56 |
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7. UNC Greensboro |
54 |
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T8. Appalachian State |
31 |
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T8. Furman |
31 |
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10. Elon |
26 |
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11. Wofford |
12 |
SoCon Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Emily Clarke, Western Carolina
Tonia Gerty, College of Charleston
Savannah Hill, Samford
Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga
Jade Hughes, College of Charleston
Ashley Lax, Davidson
Emily London, Samford
Lee Stephens, Furman
Alex Thompson, Davidson
Jenaya Wade-Fray, Chattanooga
SoCon Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga
