SAC Women’s Basketball Coaches Pick Wingate to Repeat in 2012-13

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The SAC's women's basketball coaches have voted Wingate No. 1 in the league's preseason poll, predicting the Bulldogs to repeat as conference champions in 2012-13, it was announced on Thursday.

Wingate was an overwhelming choice as the preseason No. 1, earning seven of the 10 first-place votes from the league's coaches. The Bulldogs won both the SAC regular season and tournament titles in 2011-12, finishing 23-7 overall and 13-5 in the conference.

After earning the SAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, WU reached the Southeast Region Final, finishing one win shy of a trip to the Elite Eight.

Lenoir-Rhyne is second in the preseason poll, receiving one first-place vote. The Bears finished tied for third in the 2011-12 SAC standings at 11-7 and went 19-9 overall.

L-R returns 2011-12 All-SAC Second Team selection Whitley Culler, who is coming off a season where she averaged 13.8 points and eight rebounds per game.

Newberry, which will be led by 2011-12 SAC Freshman of the Year and All-SAC Second Team pick Haylee Lepaio, was voted No. 3 in the poll. The Wolves received one first-place vote.

With the return of sharp-shooting 2011-12 second-team All-Conference guard Kendal Baxter, Tusculum is fourth in the poll. The Pioneers earned an at-large selection to last year's NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.

After finishing second in last season's SAC standings, and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Catawba received one first-place vote and is ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll.

The Indians were also runners-up at last year's SAC Tournament.

Lincoln Memorial is No. 6 in the poll, followed by No. 7 Carson-Newman and No. 8 Anderson.

Among AU's returnees is 2011-12 All-SAC Second Team selection Alissa Diaz, a 14.6 points-per-game scorer for the Trojans a year ago.

Rounding out the preseason poll is No. 9 Mars Hill and No. 10 Brevard.

2012-13 SAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll