Lady Tigers Ranked 15th In Preseason Poll

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Benedict College women’s basketball team starts the season ranked 15^th in the country, in the preseason poll released by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

The Lady Tigers finished 29-3 last season, winning the SIAC championship and advancing to the championship game of the NCAA DII South Region. Benedict finished 10^th in the final Division II national rankings last year.

Benedict returns just two players from that championship squad. Destiny Betts was the 2015-16 SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and was named the 2016-17 preseason Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors. Also returning is sophomore forward Shirvel Luke, who averaged 3.4 points per game last year.

Benedict is one of three teams from the South Region represented in the national poll. Florida Southern is ranked sixth in the preseason poll. Nova Southeastern is ranked 23^rd.

The Lady Tigers take on the University of South Carolina Lady Gamecocks, ranked No. 3 in the country in the Division I preseason poll, in an exhibition game on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in the Colonial Life Arena. Admission is free.

The regular season tips off Nov. 12 at Virginia Union. The first home game will be Dec. 1 against Central State.

2016-17 WBCA NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll – November 1, 2016
The WBCA NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches’ Poll with teams’ RECORDS FROM 2015-16 SEASON, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, first-place votes received and ranking in the 2015-16 postseason poll:

		2015-16		1st Place	2015-16
Rank	School	Record	Points	Votes	Final Rank
1.	Bentley	29-6	570	12	3
2.	California Baptist	29-3	517	2	5
3.	West Texas A&M	28-5	481	2	T12
4.	Emporia State	28-6	479	3	16
5.	Ashland	31-2	453	1	7
6.	Florida Southern	27-6	427	0	9
7.	Limestone	30-1	414	1	11
8.	California (PA)	25-6	389	0	NR
9.	Bellarmine	24-4	380	1	NR
10.	Alaska – Anchorage	38-3	373	0	2
11.	Lubbock Christian	35-0	371	2	1
12.	Pittsburg State	29-6	351	0	6
13.	Grand Valley State	26-10	297	0	8
14.	Virginia Union	28-3	269	0	4
15.	Benedict	29-3	212	0	10
16.	Winona State	30-4	208	0	T12
17.	UC San Diego	26-5	189	0	20
18.	Queens (NY)	21-9	182	0	NR
19.	Union (TN)	28-4	173	0	22
20.	Lewis	28-3	144	0	15
21. (tie)	Anderson (SC)	23-7	137	0	NR
21. (tie)	Lander	25-7	137	0	NR
23.	Nova Southeastern	24-7	89	0	NR
24.	Angelo State	23-8	70	0	NR
25. (tie)	Arkansas Tech	27-4	62	0	17
25. (tie)	Shaw	24-8	62	0	NR

Dropped Out: No. 14 Drury; No. 18 West Liberty; No. 19 Missouri Western State; No. 21 Azusa Pacific; No. 23 Francis Marion; No. 24 Fort Hayes State; No. 25 Augusta.

Others receiving votes: Northern State 55; Western Washington 54; Colorado State-Pueblo 44; Saginaw Valley 44; Ursuline 31; Drury 30; Saint Anselm 21; Francis Marion 14; Missouri Western State 13; Bloomfield 9; Azusa Pacific 7; Point Loma Nazarene 4; Washburn 3; West Liberty 3. [Note: 11 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 31 combined points.]

The WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches’ Poll Committee is made up of 24 head coaches at NCAA Division II institutions – one from each conference. The committee for the 2016-17 season: Trisha Brown, Stonehill; Debbie Buff, Wheeling Jesuit; David Caputo, Bloomfield; Jory Collins, Emporia State; Jacques Curtis, Shaw; Carmen Dolfo, Western Washington; Jason Flores, Fort Lewis; Sheila Green-Gerding, Minot State; Russell Gregg, Erskine; Scott Groninger, West Georgia; Darin Grover, Southeastern Oklahoma State; T.J. Hardeman, Asuza Pacific; Noel Johnson, Midwestern State; Carrie Lohr, Wayne State (MI); Jason Martens, St. Mary’s (Texas); Kerri Nakamoto, Cal State-Monterey; Bet Naumovski, Queens (New York); Katie Pate, Lenoir Rhyne; Kevin Pederson, Lander; John Reynolds, Florida Tech; James Rice, Benedict; Jessica Strom, California (Pennsylvania); Shannon Sword, Ursuline; Katie Vaughn, Missouri-St. Louis.