LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The Trinity University women’s basketball team was tabbed to repeat as league champions in the 2021-22 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll, based on balloting from the league’s head coaches.
A After earning its first SCAC tournament title since 2018 last winter, Trinity picked up eight of the possible nine first-place votes to total 64 points and sit atop the poll. The Tigers, who finished the season on an eight-game winning streak en route to being crowned conference champions, return over 70-percent of their scoring from last year’s squad that led the SCAC in scoring offense and finished with an overall record of 10-2 in the abbreviated 2020-21 season. Three of last year’s five starters return this season, led by First Team All-SCAC performer, senior Hailey Coleman. Coleman, who was also named to the all-Tournament team, led the SCAC shooting 59.1 percent and finished second in blocks (14), fourth in points per 40 minutes (20.5) and eighth in total steals (16) despite playing just 20.5 minutes per game. Junior Ashlyn Milton, a 2020-21 Second Team all-conference honoree, paced the Tigers with 142 points (11.8 ppg) and connected on a team-best 37-percent from beyond the three-point arc. Senior Julia Ackerman, a three-time all-SCAC performer in her career, joins Coleman and Milton as a returning starter after averaging 4.6 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per night a season ago.
Trinity head coach Cameron Hill is back on the sidelines for his tenth season with the Tigers. In nine total seasons at Trinity, he has amassed an overall record of 193-44 (.814) and stands at 111-17 (.867) in SCAC play. Hill has guided the Tigers to four SCAC tournament titles, which included an appearance in the NCAA Round of 16 in 2017.
After advancing to the program’s first-ever SCAC tournament championship game last season, Colorado College received the final first-place vote and finished second in this year’s preseason poll with 56 points. The CC Tigers will be led by 2020-21 SCAC Co-Newcomer-of-the-Year, sophomore Audrey Bayston, and a pair of Third Team all-SCAC performers in juniors Anna Fanelli and Rosie Bradley. The trio combined for 32.7 points, 19.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game a season ago and lifted CC to the second-best scoring offense (70.6) and the best free throw shooting (71.4%) and rebound margin (+9.9) team in the SCAC.
Rounding out the top three in the preseason rankings is Austin College, which is slated to finish third after accumulating 49 total points in the poll. The ‘Roos have made six consecutive trips to the SCAC Tournament semifinals, including capturing the program’s first-ever SCAC Tournament championship in 2020. Austin welcomes the return of graduate student, Kacie West, who is a four-time all-SCAC performer which includes a Third Team nod last season. West averaged 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in 2020-21 and is one of two returners from last year’s squad that averaged in double figures in scoring. Junior returnee Sarah Gwin poured in 11.5 points per contest last season on her way to Honorable Mention All-SCAC accolades.
Schreiner University checked in at fourth in the preseason rankings with 35 points as the Mountaineers welcome in a new era of coaching in the hiring of Stacy Stephens. Stephens will lean on Honorable Mention all-SCAC performer, senior Gabby Ivarra after she finished second on the team in both points (8.6) and rebounds (6.1) per game last year.
Texas Lutheran University landed in the fifth position with 33 total points. Head Coach Troy Patterson takes over for Mel Dixon, the winningest coach in program history, who announced his retirement earlier this fall. TLU, which finished second in scoring defense a season ago, limited opponents to 58.9 points per game and was one of just three teams that managed a positive turnover margin on the season. The Bulldogs return one all-SCAC performer in senior Jayla Santa Maria, who earned Honorable Mention accolades last season after accounting for 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
The University of St. Thomas, which finished second in both steals per game (11.6) and turnover margin (+3.88) in 2020-21, was selected to finish sixth in this year’s preseason poll with 31 points. The Celts return Micayla Hamilton, an all-SCAC Second Team performer last season, who finished second in the conference in scoring with 15.8 points per game.
Coming in at seventh in the poll is the University of Dallas with 28 total points. The Crusaders will be led by 2020-21 SCAC Coach-of-the-Year Bri Calver and Honorable Mention all-conference honoree Camille Fowler, who averaged 10.4 points per game in her rookie campaign.
Southwestern University, led by First Team all-SCAC performer Lauren Fulenwider who averaged a league-high 16.2 points per game last season, earned 20 total points to finish eighth in the preseason rankings.
Centenary College rounds out the 2021-22 women’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll with eight points. The Ladies welcome back 2020-21 Co-Newcomer-of-the-Year, Addy Tremie, who averaged 15.7 points per game last season – good enough for third best in the SCAC.
The 2021-22 season begins on Friday, November 5, while the SCAC Tournament will be held at the end of February in Sherman, Texas, hosted by Austin College beginning the 25th.
202-22 SCAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
||
| 1. | Trinity University (8) | 64 |
| 2. | Colorado College (1) | 56 |
| 3. | Austin College | 49 |
| 4. | Schreiner University | 35 |
| 5. | Texas Lutheran University | 33 |
| 6. | University of St. Thomas | 31 |
| 7. | University of Dallas | 28 |
| 8. | Southwestern University | 20 |
| 9. | Centenary College | 8 |
