Wednesday, October 19, 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.

USC Upstate's Scott Larson sits down with Spartans Head Coach Tammy George and Preseason All-Conference member, Tee'Ara Copney, in the Spartans season preview.

Women's Basketball Capsule
Coaches Poll Predicted Finish: 7th
Media Poll Predicted Finish: 5th
2010-11 Overall Record (A-Sun): 17-13 (13-7; T-3rd)
Season Schedule // Roster

Notes:
• Last season, USC Upstate earned a postseason berth into the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI), which marked the university's first-ever Division I Postseason appearance. This season, the Spartans are eligible for the A-Sun Basketball Championship as well as an NCAA Tournament berth.
• The Spartans must replace one of the most prolific scorers in A-Sun history this year with the departure of Chelsea McMillan. She finished her three-year career with USC Upstate with 1,301 points, which ranks 34th-best in conference history. Last year, she led the league in total points (534), while also averaging double-digit rebounds (11.6).
• Junior guard Tee'Ara Copney, an unanimous preseason selection, returns for the Spartans following her sophomore campaign in which she averaged 15.1 points per game, fourth-best in the A-Sun, and added four assists and 2.38 steals each outing. Kendra Wallace (8.0 PPG), Madison Webb (7.7 PGG) and Lauren McRoberts (7.2 PPG) also return this season and ranked 3-4-5 in scoring for the Spartans last year.
• For the past two seasons, USC Upstate has finished the regular season in third place in the conference standings. With a combined 27-13 record, the Spartans only trails FGCU (34) and ETSU (33) for wins during that span.

Follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

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.