Northland edges Northwestern for women's basketball preseason favorite
ST. PAUL (Nov. 7, 2008) – Northland College edged Northwestern College for first place in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women’s basketball preseason coaches’ poll. Northland, who finished one game behind Northwestern to take second in the conference last season, accumulated 46 points, while Northwestern, the 2007-08 conference champion, earned 45 points. Both schools received four first place votes.
Northland returns all-conference players Lindsay Hamm and Chelsea Lundgren, who both averaged over 12.0 points per game last season. Last year’s conference player of the year in Ariel Liesch (12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds per game in 2007-08) will lead Northwestern.
The University of Minnesota, Morris, who finished third in last year’s conference standings, was picked to finish third, receiving 34 points in the poll. The Cougars are led by Tynell Kocer, who scored 14.5 points per game last season while being selected to the all-conference first team.
Bethany Lutheran College rounded out the poll’s top four teams with 30 points. The Vikings return five players who started at one time or another during the 2007-08 season, including Eva Voss, who led her team with 14.3 points per game last year.
The College of St. Scholastica claimed the poll’s fifth spot, beating Martin Luther College by a 25-24 margin. Presentation College (13 points) and Crown College (seven points) finished 7th and 8th in the poll.
After each team begins its schedule with non-conference games, the UMAC basketball season will officially begin on Dec. 5.
School – Points (First Place Votes)
- Northland College – 46 (4)
- Northwestern College – 45 (4)
- University of Minnesota, Morris – 34
- Bethany Lutheran College – 30
- College of St. Scholastica – 25
- Martin Luther College – 24
- Presentation College – 13
- Crown College – 8