RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – SWOSU Women's Basketball team has been chosen as the preseason favorite in the Great American Conference for the 2018-2019 season, according to a poll voted on by the leagues head coaches. The poll was announced by the league office on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Bulldogs are a unanimous selection to repeat as the GAC's regular season champion after receiving all 11 possible first-place votes for 121 total points. SWOSU finished the 2017-18 season with a record of 26-5, setting a new NCAA era record for wins, before advancing to the NCAA Division II Central Region Championships for the third time in program history. The Lady Dawgs were ranked in 14 consecutive Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 polls, spending four weeks in the Top 10 with a high ranking of 7th before they finished the season ranked 20th.
Behind the Lady Bulldogs was Arkansas Tech, who landed second in the poll with 108 points and one first-place vote. Harding totaled 102 points to place them third in the poll, while Henderson State was fourth with 87 points, six points above Southeastern Oklahoma State in fifth. Oklahoma Baptist came in at sixth with 65 points followed by Ouachita (55) and Southern Nazarene (51). Rounding out the poll were East Central, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas and Arkansas-Monticello.
Three-time GAC Coach of the Year Kelsi Musick returns the bulk of her squad from last season, including all five starters. The headliners include two-time GAC Player of the Year and reigning Central Region Player of the Year Hailey Tucker, who returns for her senior season alongside another All-Central Region selection in Hayden Priddy. The duo is joined by junior guard Tyra Aska, who was named the GAC Defensive Player of the Year last season.
The Lady Bulldogs will open the 2018-19 season at the GAC/MIAA Crossover on November 9-10 against Emporia State and Missouri Southern, with games being played in Shawnee.
2018-19 GAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
# Team (1st Place Votes) Points
1 SWOSU (11) 121
2 Arkansas Tech (1) 108
3 Harding 102
4 Henderson State 87
5 Southeastern Okla. 81
6 Oklahoma Baptist 65
7 Ouachita 55
8 Southern Nazarene 51
9 East Central 49
10 Northwestern Okla. 41
11 Southern Arkansas 17
12 Arkansas-Monticello 15
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