Ladyjacks Picked to Finish Third in Southland Conference Preseason Poll
10/16/2017 8:50:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Ladyjacks receive total of 244 votes (two first-place)
FRISCO, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin women's basketball team has been picked to finish third in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll, per a release from the conference office on Monday as part of the Southland Conference basketball media day. The Ladyjacks received two first-place votes and a total of 244 votes to fill the third spot behind Lamar with 279 votes (18 first-place) and Central Arkansas with 260 (six first-place votes).
New Orleans (213) and Abilene Christian (186) rounded out the top five, followed by McNeese (163), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (147), Northwestern State (133), Nicholls (132) and UIW (92) as the top ten selections. Houston Baptist (71), Southeastern Louisiana (68) and Sam Houston State (40) were picked to finish 11-13th, respectively. Voting is done by the league's head coaches and SID's, with no voting permissible for one's own team.
Buoyed by the return of Preseason All-Conference Second Teamer Stevi Parker, the Ladyjacks are looking to build on a 25-win campaign in 2016-17, which saw them post a 14-4 Southland record and advance to the Southland Tournament title game. Third-year coach Mark Kellogg and his team will have to do so without 2016 Southland player of the Year Taylor Ross, who capped off her career at SFA with a team-leading 19.2 points per game last season. Parker is one of three returning starters who will look to replace that scoring production, joined by Kennedy Harris (33 games started) and Taylor Jackson (10 games started). A 6'0 forward from Bixby, Oklahoma, Park started all 33 games for the 'Jacks in 2016-17 and averaged 11.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, earning herself All-Conference Third Team honors.
Along with the three returning starters, the Ladyjacks feature a total of seven returners from last season. Four freshmen (Marrissa Banfield, Alyssa Mayfield, Aaliyah Johnson and Brioenne Burns) and transfer Imani Johnson round out the 12-woman roster for the 'Jacks, who boasted the Southland's second-highest scoring offense (73.2) and fourth-best scoring defense (62.8) last season. Of the 'Jacks returners, all of them saw action in at least 23 games last season, with five making at least one start.
SFA will open the season with a road contest at Kansas State on November 10th in Manhattan, Kansas, followed by a pair of home games against Coppin State and Howard Payne on November 14th and 18th. The team will play games Alabama State and Alcorn State in the Southern Miss tournament on the 24th and 25th of November, before closing out the month with a home tilt against Central Baptist College on the 28th. Conference play is set to begin on December 28th for the Ladyjacks, as a home contest against Southeastern Louisana will be the first league test for the team. Rival Sam Houston State will come to Nacogdoches on January 27th.
2017-18 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
New Orleans (213) and Abilene Christian (186) rounded out the top five, followed by McNeese (163), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (147), Northwestern State (133), Nicholls (132) and UIW (92) as the top ten selections. Houston Baptist (71), Southeastern Louisiana (68) and Sam Houston State (40) were picked to finish 11-13th, respectively. Voting is done by the league's head coaches and SID's, with no voting permissible for one's own team.
Buoyed by the return of Preseason All-Conference Second Teamer Stevi Parker, the Ladyjacks are looking to build on a 25-win campaign in 2016-17, which saw them post a 14-4 Southland record and advance to the Southland Tournament title game. Third-year coach Mark Kellogg and his team will have to do so without 2016 Southland player of the Year Taylor Ross, who capped off her career at SFA with a team-leading 19.2 points per game last season. Parker is one of three returning starters who will look to replace that scoring production, joined by Kennedy Harris (33 games started) and Taylor Jackson (10 games started). A 6'0 forward from Bixby, Oklahoma, Park started all 33 games for the 'Jacks in 2016-17 and averaged 11.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, earning herself All-Conference Third Team honors.
Along with the three returning starters, the Ladyjacks feature a total of seven returners from last season. Four freshmen (Marrissa Banfield, Alyssa Mayfield, Aaliyah Johnson and Brioenne Burns) and transfer Imani Johnson round out the 12-woman roster for the 'Jacks, who boasted the Southland's second-highest scoring offense (73.2) and fourth-best scoring defense (62.8) last season. Of the 'Jacks returners, all of them saw action in at least 23 games last season, with five making at least one start.
SFA will open the season with a road contest at Kansas State on November 10th in Manhattan, Kansas, followed by a pair of home games against Coppin State and Howard Payne on November 14th and 18th. The team will play games Alabama State and Alcorn State in the Southern Miss tournament on the 24th and 25th of November, before closing out the month with a home tilt against Central Baptist College on the 28th. Conference play is set to begin on December 28th for the Ladyjacks, as a home contest against Southeastern Louisana will be the first league test for the team. Rival Sam Houston State will come to Nacogdoches on January 27th.
2017-18 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Pl. | School (First-place votes) | Total |
| 1. | Lamar (18) | 279 |
| 2. | Central Arkansas (6) | 260 |
| 3. | Stephen F. Austin | 244 |
| 4. | New Orleans | 213 |
| 5. | Abilene Christian | 186 |
| 6. | McNeese | 163 |
| 7. | Texas A & M-Corpus Christi | 147 |
| 8. | Northwestern State | 133 |
| 9. | Nicholls | 132 |
| 10. | UIW | 92 |
| 11. | Houston Baptist | 71 |
| 12. | Southeastern Louisiana | 68 |
| 13. | Sam Houston State | 40 |
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