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Aleksandravicius Preseason Player of the Year, Davidson Picked 5th in SoCon Coaches Poll
10/27/2011 2:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Gavin McFarlin -- Assistant SID
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DAVIDSON, N.C. — After an outstanding second year that saw her set numerous Davidson records and become one the best players in the Southern Conference, junior Sophia Aleksandravicius (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) was picked by the league's coaches as the Preseason Player of the Year, while the Wildcats as a team were picked to finish fifth as announced today by the league office.
The 6-foot-4 forward Aleksandravicius, who was a first-team All-SoCon honoree a year ago, was joined on the league's preseason team by Wildcat guard Laura Murray. Last year, Murray was both the media and coaches' SoCon Freshman of the Year.
In the coaches poll, Davidson received 67 points, four off of Samford, which was picked fourth after winning the tournament title last season. Chattanooga was selected by the coaches to win the regular season title, receiving nine of 11 first-place votes and 99 points overall.
Earning two first-place votes and 88 points was Appalachian State, followed by Elon with 76 points and a third-place finish. After Davidson, Furman (55) and Georgia Southern (51) were picked sixth and seventh, respectively. UNCG (35), one of two teams with a new head coach this season, was picked to finish eighth, ahead of Western Carolina (27). Rounding out the poll were College of Charleston (21) and Wofford (15).
Davidson was picked to finish sixth in the media poll with 132 points, while Chattanooga (228) earned the top spot with 12 first-place votes. ASU followed with eight first-place votes and 221 points, and Samford (191), Elon (170) and Furman rounded out spots two through five in the poll.
Earlier this month, Aleksandravicius was named to the College Sports Madness Mid-Major All American Third Team. The junior set the single-game (7), single-season (95) and career (144) Wildcat records in blocks, while also setting the single-season mark in made field goals (192) and free throws (123). Her 511 points (16.5 ppg, team-best and third-best in SoCon) were the most scored in a single season, surpassing Hall of Famer Jennifer O'Brien's 488 total, set in the 1999-00 season.
Her 95 blocks on the season and 3.1 average per game ranked first in the SoCon and ninth nationally.
Murray paced all first-year players in the league in points per game last year, pouring in 11.6. She also led all freshmen in made three-pointers (43), free-throw percentage (.817) and assists (74- second-best on the team).
Murray joined Katie Hamilton (2004-05) as the only two Wildcats in program history to be named Freshman of the Year by the coaches. She was also named to the SoCon All-Freshman Team a year ago, the second year in a row a Wildcat has earned one of the five spots on the team.
The 'Cats return nine letterwinners in all, including four of its five starters, which include Aleksandravicius and Murray.
Davidson, coming off a 14-17 campaign in head coach Michele Savage's first year, tips its 2011-12 season off with an exhibition against Winston-Salem State on Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. in John M. Belk Arena. The Wildcats open the regular season at Clemson, Nov. 11, before then hosting Mercer, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. in their home opener.
Single-game tickets for the 2011-12 men's and women's basketball seasons are now on sale. Men's single-game tickets are priced as low as $14 for adults and $7 for youth, while women's tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for youth. Season tickets and Five-Game Mini Packs are also still available, starting as low $50 per package.
2011-12 SoCon Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Chattanooga (9)- 99
2. Appalachian State (2)- 88
3. Elon- 76
4. Samford- 71
5. Davidson- 67
6. Furman- 55
7. Georgia Southern- 51
8. UNCG- 35
9. Western Carolina- 27
10. College of Charleston- 21
11. Wofford- 15
2011-12 SoCon Preseason All-Conference Team
Anna Freeman, Appalachian State
Sophia Alexandravicius, Davidson
Laura Murray, Davidson
Kelsey Evans, Elon
Ali Ford, Elon
Kaitlyn Murphy, Furman
Meredith Frye, Georgia Southern
Kayla Christopher, Chattanooga
Whitney Hood, Chattanooga
April Moorhouse, Wofford
SoCon Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Sophia Alexandravicius, Davidson
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