Lady Mocs Picked to Win SoCon Basketball Title

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the third consecutive year, Chattanooga has
been selected by the Southern Conference women’s basketball coaches
to win the SoCon regular season title in 2009-10. The Lady Mocs
received nine first-place votes. Chattanooga senior Shanara Hollinquest,
the conference’s leading scorer and Player of the Year in 2008-09,
was selected as the preseason Player of the Year. 
Chattanooga received 98 points overall, seven points ahead of
second-place Samford. The Lady Mocs have won at least a share
of the last 10 SoCon regular season titles and return three starters
from a team that went 22-10 overall and 17-3 in league play during
the 2008-09 season.
Receiving the other two first-place votes and 91 points overall was Samford,
which was picked to finish second in the league. The Bulldogs
return four starters from a team that went 22-7 overall and
finished second in the conference with a 16-4 SoCon record
last season, their first season in the conference.
College of Charleston (84) was picked to finish third and returns three
starters to a team that 14-6 overall and 23-8 in league play.
The Cougars made their first trip to the conference tournament
title game last season before falling to Western Carolina in
triple overtime.
Picked to finish fourth in the league was Davidson (64),
which returns three starters.
Defending tournament champion Western Carolina (58) was picked
to finish fifth. The Catamounts are led by new head coach Karen
 Middleton and return two starters from last season.
Georgia Southern (56) was picked to finish at sixth, while UNC
Greensboro (54) came in at seventh. Appalachian State and Furman
(31) tied for eighth, followed by Elon (26) at 10th and Wofford
(12) at 11th.
The coaches also selected the preseason all-conference team. Hollinquest
was joined by teammate Jenaya Wade-Fray, a senior.
College of Charleston, Davidson and Samford also each had two
players on the team. Representing the Cougars were senior
Jade Hughes and junior Tonia Gerty. Juniors Alex Thompson and
Ashley Lax were tabbed from the Wildcats, while juniors Emily London
and Savannah Hill were picked from the Bulldogs.
Also named to the team were Furman senior Lee Stephens and Western Carolina
junior Emily Clarke.