Limestone Named Favorite to Win 2015-16 Conference Carolinas Women's Basketball Championship
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Limestone College Saints have been voted the preseason favorites to win the 2015 Conference Carolinas Women’s Basketball Championship, the league announced today. Limestone, the No. 20 team in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll, received six first-place votes and 87 points from the conference’s coaches.
The Saints turned in an impressive 2014-15 season, which included finishing No. 3 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll after posting a 34-2 overall record and perfect 22-0 Conference Carolinas mark.
Riding a 33-game winning streak, the team advanced to the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Saints also won their fourth straight Conference Carolinas regular season title, third conference tournament title in four seasons and second straight NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championship.
Mount Olive enters the new season picked to finish second after garnering 78 points and three first-place votes by conference coaches. The Trojans finished last season 14-17 overall and 10-12 in conference play. However, a late-season surge would propel Mount Olive to an appearance in the 2014-15 Conference Carolinas tournament championship game and a runner-up finish behind the Saints of Limestone.
With 71 points and one first-place vote, Belmont Abbey has been picked to finish third in Conference Carolinas. The Crusaders reached the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas tournament after turning in a 20-10 overall record and 15-7 conference record during 2014-15.
Entering 2015-16 Erskine is picked to finish fourth with 63 points, while King and Barton enter the season tied for fifth with 60 points.
Erskine turned in an 18-12 overall record in 2014-15, including 15-7 in Conference Carolinas. King finished last season 20-9 overall and 15-7 in conference play, while Barton posted a 14-16 record with a 13-9 league record.
North Greenville landed seventh with 40 points according to coaches, followed by Pfeiffer in eighth with 34 points.
The Crusaders went 12-17 a season ago, which included an even 11-11 mark in Conference Carolinas play. The Falcons had a tough 2014-15 campaign, finishing the year 6-21 overall and 5-17 in the conference.
Rounding out the poll at ninth and 10th are Lees-McRae and Converse with 24 and 21 points, respectively.
The Bobcats notched a 6-22 overall record and 5-17 mark in conference play, while the Valkyries went 4-22 and 3-19 in Conference Carolinas play.
The 2015 Conference Carolinas women's basketball season begins on Friday, Nov. 13.
2015 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| School (first-place votes) |
Total |
| 1. Limestone (6) |
87 |
| 2. Mount Olive (3) |
78 |
| 3. Belmont Abbey (1) |
71 |
| 4. Erskine |
63 |
| T5. King |
60 |
| T5. Barton |
60 |
| 7. North Greenville |
40 |
| 8. Pfeiffer |
34 |
| 9. Lees-McRae |
24 |
| 10. Converse |
21 |
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 12 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-Mcrae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Southern Wesleyan. Emmanuel College and Southern Wesleyan University are currently completing the NCAA Membership Process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.