Southland Announces Women's Basketball Preseason Teams

College Basketball News

Six all-conference selections return for the 2009-10 season

FRISCO, Texas – Stephen F. Austin senior guard Whitney Cormier leads a talented class of returning players into the 2009-10 season as the Southland Conference women’s basketball preseason teams were announced today by the league office. Six schools are represented on the two preseason teams with three selections from Lamar and two from UT Arlington and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Cormier, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, is the league’s lone returning first-team all-conference selection. The team leader in scoring, rebounding and steals, Cormier finished last season ranked second in steals (58), ninth in scoring (12.1) and 10th in field goal percentage (.448) in the Southland.

Lamar leads all teams with three preseason team selections. Senior forwards Brittney Williams and Darika Hill received first-team honors and junior guard Jenna Plumley was selected to the second-team.

Williams, a native of Spring, Texas, was selected second-team all-conference after starting all 31 games last season. She ranked 10th in scoring (12.0) and 14th in rebounds (6.0). Hill was named newcomer of the year and was a third-team all-conference selection. Hill, a native of New Iberia, La., ranked seventh in blocks (30), 11th in rebounds (7.1) and 15th in scoring (11.0). Plumley sat out the 2008-09 season after transferring from the University of Oklahoma. A native of Red Rock, Okla., Plumley started 41 games and averaged 6.5 points and 2.7 assists in 63 games played as a Sooner. As a sophomore in 2007-08, she stared all 31 games, handing out 107 assists and led Oklahoma in three-point­ers made and attempted, knocking down 64-of-202 from behind the arc.

Rounding out the preseason first-team selections are UT Arlington junior guard Tamara Simmons and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi junior guard Jade Davis.

Simmons, a native of Arlington, Texas, was named third-team all-conference last season. Simmons ranked fourth in assists (124), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.374) and 13th in scoring (11.5). She has led UTA in assists in each of the last two seasons and scored a game high 22 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the floor at Oklahoma State in the Mavs first appearance in the WNIT.

Davis, a native of West Columbia, Texas, returns as the league’s top scoring threat averaging 12.8 points a game. A third-team all-conference selection, Davis recorded a personal-best 33 points against Southeastern Louisiana on February 25, the third-highest in Islander’s history.

She led the Islanders in scoring in 14-of-30 contests while scoring 20-plus points in three games.

Second-team honorees include UT Arlington junior forward Shalyn Martin, UTSA junior guard Amber Gregg, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi senior center Elisa Beagle and Texas State senior guard Victoria Davis.

Martin, a native of Arlington, Texas, was selected third-team all-conference last season. Starting all 33 games, Martin played a key role in the Mavs Southland tournament title game appearance earning all-tournament honors. Martin finished the season ranked fifth in blocks (40), 16th in scoring (10.9) and 19th in rebounds (5.5).

Gregg, the leading vote recipient on the preseason teams started 28 of 29 games for the Roadrunners last season and was second in the league in minutes played (34.9). A native of Austin, Texas, Gregg led the league with 73 three-pointers, which ranked second all-time in a single-season at UTSA. She averaged a career-high 11.7 points per game and scored in double-figures 19 times.

Beagle returns to action after a medical hardship due to a preseason injury that kept her sidelined for the 2008-09 season. A native of Houston, Texas, Beagle started 29 games while playing in all 32 contests as a junior in 2007-08. She averaged a team-high 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and scored 328 points while pulling down 234 rebounds. She became the second-leading rebounder in Islander history with a total of 642.

Rounding out the 2009-10 preseason team honorees, Davis played her first season as the Bobcats point guard and responded 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for the Bobcats last season. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Davis played in all 26 games, ranked ninth in assists per game (3.3), and shot 38 percent from the field while leading the team in scoring seven times.

Returning players who were named All-Southland Conference following the 2008-09 season were automatically placed on the 2009-10 preseason teams. Open positions were filled by nomination and vote of the league’s head coaches.

Preseason All-Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Teams

FIRST TEAM

*2008-09 All-Southland Conference Selection

Comments (0)

Name

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment