Conference Carolinas

Barton Voted Top Team in Women’s Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll

10/15/2013 12:00:00 AM

High Point, NC – Barton College has been picked to finish first as voted on by the league’s ten women’s basketball coaches. The Lady Bulldogs will be seeking a sixth straight 20-win season and fourth consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2013-14 under head coach Wendee Saintsing, who will be in her 25th season leading the program.

The Lady Bulldogs have a considerable weapon in trying to reach those goals in reigning Player of the Year, Nyeshea Willie. The senior from Virginia Beach, Va., led the league and ranked 18th nationally in scoring last season, averaging 18.6 points per game. She also ranked among the top 10 in the league in free throw percentage, field goal percentage and steals in an All-Southeast Region campaign.

However, Willie and part-time starter Ashley Thornton are the only starters back from last year’s 21-8 team, as the Lady Bulldogs graduated six seniors, including 2012 Defensive Player of the Year Elaine Morgan. Barton does return eight letter winners, and has brought in eight new players – seven freshmen and one transfer.

“It will be a testament to our team if we can live up to the expectations,” Saintsing said. “We know there are some other teams that have more returnees and they had some success last year. I know our conference will be tough. It will just be a matter of what we can bring to the table and what the timetable will be for developing as a team.”

Limestone College has been picked to finish second as voted on by the league’s ten women’s basketball coaches. The Saints are coming off the best season in program history, finishing with a 27-4 overall record, its second straight Conference Carolinas Regular Season Championship and its first ever trip the “Sweet 16” in the NCAA Tournament. The Saints wrapped up the 2012-13 season ranked No. 10 in the USA Today Division II Coaches’ Poll.

Limestone will have some question marks entering the 2013-14 season as it graduated three 1,000-points scorers and the program’s all-time leader in career blocks from last year’s championship squad. The cupboard is not bear, however, as the Saints bring back a core group of veterans in juniors Alicia Brookins and Morgan Brown while junior Celestra Warren, a two-time NJCAA National Player of the Week and a NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American, will play a key role for the Blue and Gold this season.

Mount Olive College has been picked to finish third as voted on by the league’s ten women’s basketball coaches. The Trojans return three starters from last year’s Conference Carolinas championship team, including tournament Most Valuable Player Jasmine McDonald. The 5-7 guard pulled down 45 rebounds in three games and tallied 10 points and 17 rebounds in the championship game. She also had 19 points and 13 rebounds against nationally top-ranked Clayton State in the first round of the NCAA II Southeast Regional.

Also returning are perimeter shooters Joneiqua Gary and Kirksten Mitchell. Gary earned All-Tournament honors at last year’s conference tournament, while Mitchell averaged 20.7 points per contest in the tournament, including 24 points in the title game.

King finished fourth in the poll with Belmont Abbey fifth followed by North Greenville, Pfeiffer, Lee-McRae, Erskine and Converse College respectively rounding-out the poll standings.

 

Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Pre-Season Poll       

(# of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)