Lady Wildcats preseason No. 3 pick in ASC East
RICHARDSON, Texas – UT Dallas and Mary Hardin-Baylor have been picked to repeat as the 2019-20 American Southwest Conference East and West Division winners, respectively, following a vote of the league’s head coaches and directors of sports information, the ASC office announced Wednesday.
UT Dallas (25-5, 14-2 ASC) received 141 points and 21 of 24 first-place votes to lead the East Division. Polly Thomason, the five-time ASC East Division Coach of the Year, and the Comets advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship last season after winning the 2019 ASC Championship.
Mary Hardin-Baylor (27-4, 15-1 ASC) was picked to win the West Division with 139 points and 20 out of 24 first place votes. The Cru, under head coach West Division Mark Morefield, were the runners-up at the ASC Championship a year ago, but made a run to the third round of the NCAA Division III Championship.
In the East, East Texas Baptist (23-4, 14-2 ASC) was picked second with 117 points and three first place. The Tigers were followed by Louisiana College (11-14, 7-9 ASC), Ozarks (13-13, 9-7 ASC), LeTourneau (6-19, 3-13 ASC) and Belhaven (8-17, 4-12 ASC).
“We’re looking forward to an exciting season,” said second-year Head Coach Matt LeBato. “We appreciate those votes, but the preseason polls are really more of a guessing game.”
The Lady Cats lost all five top scorers from last season’s 11-14 (8-9 ASC) team.
“Third may be fair, considering last season’s results and what the league is returning,” LeBato added. “Of course we’re more interested in what the polls will show at the end of February.”
Hardin-Simmons (19-8, 11-5 ASC) was selected as the runner-up in the West Division with 116 points and three first place votes. The Cowgirls were followed by Howard Payne (11-15, 8-8 ASC) after receiving a first place vote, Concordia Texas (8-17, 4-12 ASC), McMurry (8-18, 5-11 ASC) and Sul Ross State (5-20, 3-13 ASC).
The 2019-20 ASC Women’s Basketball Watch List is composed of 30 players nominated by the head coaches and features all five all-conference selections from last season, 18 all-division recipients and eight individual award winners.
Returning LC forwards Alexis Lege (Jr.), Kristen Breaux (Sr.) and Morgan Blades (So.) made the Watch List, and all three will play a vital role on a Lady Wildcats team that will have 13 freshmen and two sophomores.
“Morgan, Kristen and Alexis will be relied on heavily this year,” LeBato said. “Especially from a maturity standpoint. All three have bought in and created a culture that we all enjoy being part of every day.”
Belhaven has completed its final year of transition into Division III athletics and will be eligible for the ASC title and selection to the NCAA Championship for the first time
The 2019-20 season marks the 24th in league history. Regular season play begins Friday, November 8. The ASC membership will take on competition from 17 different NCAA Division III conferences, including – American Collegiate Athletic Association, American Rivers Conference, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, Landmark Conference, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Midwest Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, Northwest Conference, Southern Athletic Association, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, State University of New York Athletic Conference, St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, University Athletic Association and USA South Athletic Conference. The ASC will also play members from NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA, NCCAA and USCAA.
The three-day, eight-team, single-elimination conference tournament is slated for February 27-29 at the site of the East Division No. 1 seed. The ASC Championship Tournament features the top four seeds from both divisions. An automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship will be on the line.
ASC Women’s Basketball Preseason Polls
East Division
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Pts. | 2018-19 Record (ASC) |
| 1. | UT Dallas (21) | 141 | 25-5 (14-2) |
| 2. | East Texas Baptist (3) | 117 | 23-4 (13-3) |
| 3. | Louisiana College | 80 | 11-14 (7-9) |
| 4. | Ozarks | 71 | 13-13 (9-7) |
| 5. | LeTourneau | 52 | 6-19 (3-13) |
| 6. | Belhaven | 38 | 8-17 (4-12) |
West Division
| No. | Team (First-place votes) | Pts. | 2018-19 Record (ASC) |
| 1. | Mary Hardin-Baylor (20) | 139 | 27-4 (15-1) |
| 2. | Hardin-Simmons (3) | 116 | 19-8 (11-5) |
| 3. | Howard Payne (1) | 81 | 11-15 (8-8) |
| 4. | Concordia Texas | 69 | 8-17 (4-12) |
| 5. | McMurry | 64 | 8-18 (5-11) |
| 6. | Sul Ross State | 39 | 5-20 (3-13) |
ASC Women’s Basketball Preseason Watch List
East Division
| Name | Pos. | Class | School | Hometown |
| Peyton Papenburg D | G | Sr. | Belhaven | Brandon, Miss. |
| Destiny Johnson | C | Jr. | Belhaven | Memphis, Tenn. |
| Kim Childress 1 | F | Sr. | East Texas Baptist | Highlands Ranch, Colo. |
| Kendrick Clark A N 1 D | G | Sr. | East Texas Baptist | Georgetown, Texas |
| Keauna Whitfield H | G | Jr. | LeTourneau | Rosebud, Texas |
| Vanessa Cruz | G | Sr. | LeTourneau | Hercules, Calif. |
| Flora Akingbade | F | Jr. | LeTourneau | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| Morgan Blades | F | So. | Louisiana College | Livingston, La. |
| Kristen Breaux | F | Sr. | Louisiana College | Estherwood, La. |
| Alexis Lege | F | Jr. | Louisiana College | Erath, La. |
| Kerigan Bradshaw F | G | So. | Ozarks | Harrison, Ark. |
| Victoria Pena A Y 1 D | G | Sr. | UT Dallas | Helotes, Texas |
| Raenett Hughes A P 1 D | G | Jr. | UT Dallas | College Station, Texas |
| Katie Gunther H | F | Sr. | UT Dallas | The Woodlands, Texas |
A 2018-19 All-American Southwest Conference
Y 2018-19 East Division Player of the Year
N 2018-19 East Division Newcomer of the Year
P 2018-19 East Division Defensive Player of the Year
1 2018-19 East Division First Team Selection
F 2018-19 East Division All-Freshman Team
D 2018-19 East Division All-Defensive Team
H 2018-19 East Division Honorable Mention
West Division
| Name | Pos. | Class | School | Hometown |
| Kaycie Dunkerley S 1 | G | Sr. | Concordia Texas | Azle, Texas |
| Payton Berger H 2 | F | Sr. | Concordia Texas | Azle, Texas |
| Alyssa Marquez | G | Sr. | Concordia Texas | Mercedes, Texas |
| Taylor Gaffney 2 | G | Sr. | Hardin-Simmons | Frisco, Texas |
| Kaitlyn Ellis | C | Jr. | Hardin-Simmons | Breckenridge, Texas |
| Keilee Burke P 2 F D | F | So. | Hardin-Simmons | Belton, Texas |
| Chelsey Harris 1 D | G | Jr. | Howard Payne | Waco, Texas |
| Anastasia Willis H | F | Jr. | Howard Payne | San Antonio, Texas |
| Hannah Holt A Y 1 D | G | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Lumberton, Texas |
| Kendall Rollins 1 | G | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Fulshear, Texas |
| Alicia Blackwell A 1 D | G | Sr. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | McKinney, Texas |
| Skyler Reyna 2 | F | Sr. | McMurry | San Antonio, Texas |
| Sarah Doherty 2 | G | Sr. | McMurry | Lubbock, Texas |
| Savannah Johnson F | F | So. | McMurry | Azle, Texas |
| Chandre Nunez N 2 | G/F | Sr. | Sul Ross State | San Antonio, Texas |
| Jocelyne Roque S H | F | So. | Sul Ross State | El Paso, Texas |
A 2018-19 All-American Southwest Conference
Y 2018-19 West Division Player of the Year
N 2018-19 West Division Newcomer of the Year
P 2018-19 West Division Defensive Player of the Year
S 2018-19 West Division Tri-Sportsmanship Athlete of the Year
1 2018-19 West Division First Team Selection
2 2018-19 West Division First Team Selection
F 2018-19 West Division All-Freshman Team
D 2018-19 West Division All-Defensive Team
H 2018-19 West Division Honorable Mention
