NKyTribune staff
Campbellsville has been selected to win the Mid-South Conference women’s basketball title in 2019-20 by the coaches in their preseason poll.
The Tigers picked up 64 total points and eight of the nine first-place votes. Campbellsville won the Mid-South Conference regular-season title in 2018-19 with a 14-0 record and went on to capture the tournament championship as well.
Campbellsville also advanced to the NAIA Tournament national quarterfinals last season.
Shawnee State is picked to finish second in the poll with 51 points and the other first-place vote. The Bears lost to Campbellsville by a 64-50 score in last year’s conference championship game and advanced to the second round of the NAIA Tournament.
Kaela Saner (left) averaged 9.7 points per game last season as Thomas More posted a 33-0 record and captured the NCAA Division III national title. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
Mid-South Conference newcomer Thomas More is fourth in the poll with 45 points, followed by Georgetown (Ky.) in fifth place with 35 points. Thomas More captured the NCAA Division III national championship last season and posted a 33-0 record.
Thomas More must replace NCAA Division III National Player of the Year Madison Temple from that squad. Temple led the Saints in scoring (23.5 point per game), rebounds (7.7 per game), assists (187) and steals (92).
Senior post player Emily Schultz (11.3 ppg), senior guard Kaela Saner (9.7 ppg) and junior guard Briana McNutt (6.2 ppg) are key returnees for Thomas More this season.
Pikeville garnered 34 points and Life (Ga.) earned 20 points, slotting them sixth and seventh, respectively. The Cumberlands (Ky.) gathered 17 points for the eighth spot in the poll, while Cumberland (Tenn.) rounds out the poll with eight points.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
The 2019-20 Mid-South Conference Tournament is slated for March 6-9 at Bowling Green High School in Bowling Green, Ky.
2019-20 Mid-South Conference
Women’s basketball preseason poll
Pos., School, Pts. (1st-place votes), 2018-19 record
1. Campbellsville 64 (8) 33-3 (14-0)
2. Shawnee State 51 (1) 25-10 (9-5)
3. Lindsey Wilson 50 23-11 (9-5)
4. Thomas More 45 33-0*
5. Georgetown (Ky.) 35 21-11 (5-9)
6. Pikeville 34 20-12 (9-5)
7. Life (Ga.) 20 18-11 (6-8)
8. Cumberlands (Ky.) 17 14-17 (1-13)
9. Cumberland (Tenn.) 8 7-20 (3-11)
*Competed at the NCAA Division III level
NIENABER NETS FOUR GOALS: Senior forward Olivia Nienaber scored four goals Saturday night to lead the Thomas More women’s soccer team to a 5-1 win over Shawnee State in a Mid-South Conference game at BB&T Field.
Thomas More improved to 10-6 overall, 3-3 in the Mid-South Conference. The Saints also remained unbeaten (10-0) at home this season. Nienaber’s four goals tied the second-highest total in Thomas More history, having been done three other times.
Julia Flagge-Echols and Stephanie Neidich share the Thomas More single-game record with five goals.
Thomas More returns to action on Wednesday with a road contest at 24th-ranked Campbellsville.
(Information compiled from Thomas More, the Mid-South Conference and staff reports)
