NEW ORLEANS – After coming off its first postseason appearance since 2004, the South Alabama women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the 2018-19 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced by the league office Wednesday. Redshirt sophomore guard and 2017-18 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Savannah Jones earned preseason all-conference first-team honor.
South Alabama received 78 pts with Little Rock, the defending Sun Belt Champions, being picked to win the conference with 133 pts, receiving eight first-place votes.
The Jaguars went 21-13 last season, with an 11-7 Sun Belt record, while reaching the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational. The 21 wins and 11 conference triumphs are the most since the 2003-04 season, the last time the Jags made a postseason appearance (WNIT).
Jones played in every game except one after returning from an injury that cut her 2016-17 season short after just eight games. The redshirt sophomore guard returns as the Jags leading scorer as she put up 12.1 points per game last season, 13th in the Sun Belt. Jones made 70 three-point baskets, third most in a single-season in program history, and had two games with six makes, tied for fourth most in a game in program history behind three-former Jags who had seven.
The Jags also return junior guard Shaforia Kines and sophomore center Antoinette Lewis. Kines finished last season fourth in assists to turnover ratio (1.6) and eighth in assists (116) in the Sun Belt. Lewis scored 10 or more points in eight of the last 11 games, while also recording three double-doubles during the stretch, starting the final seven contests and earning Sun Belt Player of the Week on Feb. 25.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics. Contributions to South Circle directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give
Join the Hardwood Club, the women's basketball specific support club of the Jaguar Athletic Fund. All gifts to the Hardwood Club go directly to support the South Alabama women's basketball program. For more information on how you can join visit: jaguarathleticfund.com/hardwoodclub.
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2018-19 Conference Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll
first-place votes in parentheses
1. Little Rock - 133 pts (8)
2. Troy - 131 pts (4)
3. Texas State - 97 pts
3. UTA - 97 pts
5. Arkansas State - 95 pts
6. South Alabama - 78 pts
7. Louisiana - 75 pts
8. Coastal Carolina - 72 pts
9. Appalachian State - 67 pts
10. Georgia Southern - 39 pts
10. Georgia State - 39 pts
12. ULM - 13 pts
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Ronjanae DeGray (Little Rock, Forward, Sr.)
Akasha Westbrook (Arkansas State, Guard, RS-Sr.)
Savannah Jones (South Alabama, Guard, RS-So.)
Toshua Leavitt (Texas State, Guard, Sr.)
Kayla Robinson (Troy, Guard, Jr.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Bayley Plummer (Appalachian State, Center, Jr.)
Madi Story (Appalachian State, Guard, RS-Sr.)
Naheria Hamilton (Coastal Carolina, Center, Jr.)
Sky'Lynn Holmes (Troy, Forward, Sr.)
Amber Rivers (Troy, Forward, Jr.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Arsula Clark (ULM, Guard, So.)
Lapresha Stanley (Appalachian State, Guard, So.)
Tori Lasker (Little Rock, Guard, So.)
Skyler Goodwin (Louisiana, Guard/Forward, So.)
Brooke Holle (Texas State, Guard, Jr.)
Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year
Ronjanae DeGray (Little Rock, Forward, Sr.)
