Tuesday, October 25, 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.

North Florida's Robert Harper sits down with Ospreys Head Coach Mary Tappmeyer and senior guard Brittany Kirkland, a preseason All-Conference Selection in the North Florida season preview.

Women's Basketball Capsule
Coaches Poll Predicted Finish: 5th
Media Poll Predicted Finish: 4th
2010-11 Overall Record (A-Sun): 13-17 (11-9; 6th)
Season Schedule // Roster

Notes:
• Senior guard Brittany Kirkland enters the season with 1,200 career points, which is most amongst active A-Sun women's basketball student-athletes. Her career total ranks in a tie for 46th all-time in A-Sun history. If she continues of her average of 400 points scored per season she will finish her Ospreys career in 15th place in A-Sun history for points scored.
• Larkira Jones, a junior center, claimed the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors after receiving the same award at the conclusion of last season. In 2010-11, Jones led the league in blocked shots with 2.23 per game and ranked fourth in rebounds at 9.6. In conference games, Jones' production increased as she averaged 11.6 boards per outing and swatted away 2.8 field-goal attempts each contest.
• Last season, the main chunk of North Florida's offensive production came from five players, who all averaged at least seven points per game. Four of those players return this season including Kirkland (13.9), Taylor Smith (9.3), Jones (7.2) and Jadhken Kerr (7.0). That quartet accounted for 66 percent of the Ospreys offense.
• Coach Tappmeyer enters her 20th year at the helm of North Florida's women's basketball program. Her team this season has a wealth of experience as the squad features seven upperclassmen and 11 total players with at least one year of collegiate experience.

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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.