Tuesday, October 18, 2011

MACON, Ga. - The 2011-12 Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Basketball Season gets underway on Friday, Nov. 11th and prior to that date the A-Sun office will preview each of the ten member institutions.

The 2011 Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball Champions, Stetson Hatters kick off the preview series as Hatter Vision Broadcaster Bill Topping chats with Head Coach Lynn Bria and junior guard Victoria McGowan, the Preseason Player of the Year.

Women's Basketball Capsule:
Coaches Poll Predicted Finish: 2nd
Media Poll Predicted Finish: 3rd
2010-11 Overall Record (A-Sun): 20-13 (13-7; T-3rd) - Tournament Champions
Season Schedule // Roster

Notes:
• With the victory in the A-Sun Championship Final last season, Stetson's Head Coach Lynn Bria became the first coach in A-Sun history to lead two conference teams to the tournament title. Bria previously coached UCF to the A-Sun title in 1999.
• Despite returning its top scorer from last season (McGowan), Stetson will be missing three of its top four scorers, which accounted for 51.6 percent of the Hatters offense. Tierra Brown (13.5 PPG), Jessica Conner (10.2) and Natasha Graboski (10.0) combined to average 33.7 of Stetson's 65.3 points per outing. The trio also averaged 15.1 rebounds last season - 40.9 percent of Stetson's production.
• Last season, McGowan led the charge for the Hatters as she topped the charts in six statistical team categories including scoring (13.9), assists (4.3) and steals (2.4). The junior guard averaged a team-high 30.1 minutes played and made on average five field goals and 2.4 free throws per contest - both best on the team.
• A 2011 All-Tournament Member, Sasha Sims joined McGowan on the A-Sun Preseason All-Conference Team. In last year's championship final, Sims drained her first six three-pointers against Jacksonville to propel the Hatters to a 42-26 halftime lead and eventual tournament title. On the season, Sims shot .381 from behind-the-arc, which ranked sixth-best in the league.

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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.