WACO, TX. -- The University of the Incarnate Word women’s basketball team has been picked to win the 2009-2010 Heartland Conference title in the annual preseason poll of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, while the Blue Tigers landed in the seventh slot.
Lincoln returns their top two scorers from a season ago in Ashley Norris and Paris Campbell. Norris led the team in scoring (15.9) and minutes (34.9) per game. In addition, Norris tallied 36 steals, 23 assists and averaged six rebounds for the Blue Tigers. Campbell wasn’t far behind Norris, as she was second on the team in scoring per game (10.0), and minutes (29.5), while adding 4.7 rebounds per game, 24 steals, 34 assists and 18 blocks.
The defending conference champion UIW women garnered 133 total points in the poll and tallied 11 first-place votes. The Cardinals edged out cross-town rival St. Mary’s which had 123 points and four first-place votes.
Under head coach Angela Lawson, the UIW women ended their 2008-09 campaign at 21-9, their best record in 10 years. The Cardinals finished the regular season second in the Heartland Conference and went to the league’s post-season championship tournament seeded second. The Cardinals then upset favorite St. Mary’s to capture the 2009 title. With the crown, Incarnate Word advanced to the regional tournament for the first time in school history.
The Cardinals will be led by senior guard Nia Torru, who was last season’s Heartland Conference Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection. The Houston, Texas, native averaged 18.2 points per game last season.
St. Mary’s strong finish in the poll comes after a 24-6 finish in the 08-09 season, which included a second place finish in the Heartland Conference tournament and trip to the NCAA’s. The Rattlers were ranked as high as No. 21 in the national polls.
With 117 points, St. Edward’s is picked to finish third in the league. The Hilltoppers had three first-place votes and were just four points behind St. Mary’s.
Newman had 70 points to come in at fourth, followed by Texas A&M International (60), Texas-Permian Basin (64), Lincoln (43) and Oklahoma Panhandle State (29).
The 2009-10 season begins in mid-November. The Heartland Conference Basketball Championship Tournament is set for March 4-6, 2010, at the site of the highest-seeded team. The winner of the conference championship earns an automatic berth into the NCAA Division II national tournament.
Heartland Conference
2009-2010 Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
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Institution
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Points (1st Place)
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2008-2009 Record
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Incarnate Word
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133 (11)
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21-9 (11-3)
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St. Mary’s
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123 (4)
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24-6 (12-2)
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St. Edward’s
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117 (3)
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15-13 (9-5)
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Newman
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70
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8-19 (5-9)
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Texas A&M Intl.
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69
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13-15 (10-4)
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Texas-Permian Basin
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64
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7-18 (5-9)
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Lincoln
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43
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4-22 (3-11)
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Okla. Panhandle State
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29
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3-24 (1-13)
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