Tuesday, October 11, 2011

MACON, Ga. – Coming off a conference-record three teams in postseason play, the Atlantic Sun announced the 2011-12 Preseason Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team, Coaches Poll and Media Poll. Stetson’s Victoria McGowan, the 2011 A-Sun Championship MVP, picked up the Preseason Player of the Year honors, while North Florida’s Larkira Jones was selected to defend her Defensive Player of the Year award from last year.

FGCU and Stetson were picked first and second in the coaches poll and landed two student-athletes on the preseason team. With an unanimous 19 first-place votes in the media poll, FGCU placed senior Courtney Chihil and sophomore Sarah Hansen on the squad.

Chihil averaged 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds for FGCU last season in which they won 28 games – the second most in A-Sun history – en route to a second round appearance in the WNIT, the team's fourth appearance in the tournament in as many seasons. Hansen led the team in scoring as a freshman with 13.3 per outing, while ranking first in the conference for field-goal percentage at .524.

One of four unanimous choices, McGowan ranked in the top-10 of three major statistical categories in the conference including; scoring (13.9; 7th), steals (2.36; 3rd) and assists (4.27; 4th). Sophomore Sasha Sims joined McGowan on the team after ranking sixth in the league in three-point percentage at .381 as a freshman and earning All-Tournament honors. The duo led the Hatters to the 2011 A-Sun Championship title, the third in program history.

ETSU appeared at No. 3 in the coaches poll with one first-place vote and second in the media poll after finishing the 2010-11 season at 19-12 and 15-5 in conference play. Sophomore Destiny Mitchell, a preseason all-conference selection, averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals for the Lady Bucs as a first-year player.

Senior Haley Nelson and the Belmont Bruins took the four-spot in the coaches poll with one first-place tally. Nelson, an unanimous selection, led the Bruins in five statistical categories last season including scoring (13.7), rebounding (8.1) and blocks (1.6). North Florida followed the Bruins in the preseason poll in fifth. Brittany Kirkland, the A-Sun’s active career leader with 1,200 points, represented the Ospreys on the team. The senior has 16 career 20-point games – the most by an active player. Jones earned the Defensive Preseason award after she capped the 2011 season with 9.6 rebounds and leading the league with 2.23 blocks per game.

Jacksonville and USC Upstate were next in the coaches poll in sixth and seventh. The Spartans’ Tee’Ara Copney received unanimous selection to the preseason team after ranking in the top-10 in six A-Sun categories.

The 2011 Freshman of the Year, Briana Williams from Mercer (8th in the Coaches Poll) completed the quartet of unanimous selections. Williams led the conference in scoring last season at 18.0 PPG, which included four 30-point games and a 41-point outing on Jan. 24th. Kennesaw State’s Sametria Gideon was one of two players to average a double-double last season as she enters this season with 16 career double-doubles – most amongst active A-sun players.

Lipscomb completed the coaches poll at No. 10 and placed senior Anna Bowers onto the team. Bowers averaged 13.2 points and 4.0 rebounds last season, while also leading the team in three-pointers made.

For the first-time in conference history, the A-Sun let the fans decide preseason awards via Facebook. Belmont’s Haley Nelson was picked as the Preseason Player of the Year, while the Bruins were also picked to win the regular-season title. FGCU’s Courtney Chihil was tabbed the fan’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

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The Atlantic Sun Conference is an NCAA Division I league with 10 member institutions committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun meets the challenge of maintaining the highest standards in academic and athletic achievement with a true balance between student and athlete. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.