League Schedule
RICHARDSON, Texas –– The
Concordia Texas and
Louisiana College women’s basketball teams have been predicted to repeat their American Southwest Conference West and East Division titles, respectively, after a vote of each division’s head coaches, sports information directors and media members, the conference office announced on Tuesday (Oct. 23). Concordia Texas’
Margaret Milling and Louisiana College’s
Natosha Gottlieb earned 2012-13 preseason player of the year honors.
Defending conference champion
Concordia Texas (23-5, 18-3 ASC) totaled 137 points and picked up 13 of the possible 21 first-place votes to be the West Division favorites in the annual poll. Head coach Rusty Rainbolt’s Tornados went unbeaten at home in league play last season and won eight of their final nine regular season games to claim the first division crown in program history. It was also the first conference championship for CTX, which had never won an ASC tournament game before last year.
Five-time conference champion Howard Payne (20-6, 16-5 ASC) was predicted to finish in second place in the West with 129 points and seven first-place votes. The Lady Jackets have also won three division crowns and hoisted the NCAA Division III national championship trophy in 2007-08. Seven-time ASC champion Hardin-Simmons (13-13, 11-10 ASC) was the third-place pick with 108 points and received the final first-place vote. Mary Hardin-Baylor (6-19, 5-16 ASC) garnered 77 points to round out what would be the division’s four teams to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament. Texas Lutheran (59 pts.) was picked to finish fifth in the West, followed by Schreiner (55 pts) and Sul Ross State (23 pts.).
2010 conference champion
Louisiana College (24-5, 18-2 ASC) totaled 142 points and 18 of the possible 21 first-place votes to be the favorites in the East Division. Head coach Jason Tinsley’s Lady Wildcats won their third straight division crown last season, reached the conference title game and appeared in the NCAA tournament for a third consecutive year, getting an at-large berth. LC also led the league in scoring at (86.6 points per game), turnover margin (+14.55) and steals (525).
Texas-Dallas (20-7, 15-5 ASC) was predicted for a second-place finish in the East by totaling 122 points and landing the final three first-place votes. The Comets led the league in defense last year, allowing only 51.6 points per game. Mississippi College (16-10, 13-7 ASC) was picked in the third-place spot with 100 points. Texas-Tyler (12-13, 8-12 ASC) totaled 65 points to round out what would be the division’s four ASC tournament teams. LeTourneau (61 pts.) was predicted to finish fifth in the East, followed by Ozarks (58 pts.) and East Texas Baptist (40 pts.).
Milling (
Fort Worth, Texas / Paschal HS), a 5-foot-9 senior guard, was named ASC West Division Preseason Player of the Year. She averaged 4.3 points, three assists and 2.9 steals per game to help lead the Tornados to conference and division titles. Her 81 steals – including 10 in the ASC tournament – ranked second in the league.
Gottlieb (
Alexandria, La. / Bolton HS), a 5-foot-10 senior guard/forward, was named ASC East Division Preseason Player of the Year. She averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals to guide a division crown and conference runner-up finish. Gottlieb also totaled a team-high 31 blocks and shot 32.9 percent (55-for-167) from 3-point range.
Milling was an all-division defensive team selection in 2011-12, while Gottlieb was a member of the prestigious five-player ASC All-Conference Team and a first-team all-division selection. Gottlieb was also the East’s defensive player of the year.
The 2012-13 season – the 17th in league history – begins as early as November 15. The three-day, eight-team, single-elimination conference tournament is slated for February 22-24 at the site of the West Division’s top seed and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship will be on the line.
NOTES: New head coaches in the conference are
Kevin Baker of Texas-Tyler,
Mel Dixon (interim) of Texas Lutheran,
Dustin Howard of East Texas Baptist,
Chris Marks of Sul Ross State and
Lisa Curliss-Taylor of Mary Hardin-Baylor. . . . Former league member McMurry finished 19-8 overall and 16-5 in West Division last season, while fellow ex-ASC institution Centenary went 8-17 overall but did not have an East Division record due to going through the NCAA Division III reclassifying process. . . . To talk about ASC Basketball on Twitter this season, use the hashtag:
#ASChoops.
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2012-13 ASC PRESEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POLL |
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[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and Media Members] |
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WEST DIVISION |
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Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
2011-12 Record |
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1 |
Concordia Texas (13) |
137 |
23-5, 18-3 ASC (1st) |
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2 |
Howard Payne (7) |
129 |
20-6, 16-5 ASC (T2nd) |
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3 |
Hardin-Simmons (1) |
108 |
13-13, 11-10 ASC (4th) |
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4 |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
77 |
6-19, 5-16 ASC (T6th) |
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5 |
Texas Lutheran |
59 |
7-18, 6-15 ASC (5th) |
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6 |
Schreiner |
55 |
7-18, 5-16 ASC (T6th) |
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7 |
Sul Ross State |
23 |
2-23, 1-20 ASC (8th) |
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* McMurry (19-8, 16-5 ASC) is no longer a member of the conference. |
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EAST DIVISION |
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Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
2011-12 Record |
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1 |
Louisiana College (18) |
142 |
24-5, 18-2 ASC (1st) |
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2 |
Texas-Dallas (3) |
122 |
20-7, 15-5 ASC (2nd) |
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3 |
Mississippi College |
100 |
16-10, 13-7 ASC (3rd) |
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4 |
Texas-Tyler |
65 |
12-13, 8-12 ASC (6th) |
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5 |
LeTourneau |
61 |
13-12, 9-11 ASC (T4th) |
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6 |
Ozarks |
58 |
13-13, 9-11 ASC (T4th) |
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7 |
East Texas Baptist |
40 |
6-19, 4-16 ASC (7th) |
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* Centenary (8-17, 0-0 ASC) is no longer a member of the conference. |
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2012-13 ASC PRESEASON WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR |
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[Voted on by ASC Head Coaches, Sports Information Directors and Media Members] |
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WEST DIVISION |
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Margaret Milling, G, Sr., Concordia Texas |
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EAST DIVISION |
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Natasha Gottlieb, G/F, Sr., Louisiana College |
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ALL-TIME ASC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS |
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Conference |
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2012 |
Concordia Texas |
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2011 |
Howard Payne |
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2010 |
Louisiana College |
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2009 |
Howard Payne |
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2008 |
Howard Payne |
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2007 |
Howard Payne |
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2006 |
McMurry |
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2005 |
Howard Payne |
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2004 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2003 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2002 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2001 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2000 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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1999 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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1998 |
Hardin-Simmons/Mississippi College/Austin College |
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1997 |
Ozarks/Austin College |
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West Division |
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2012 |
Concordia Texas |
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2011 |
Howard Payne/Hardin-Simmons |
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2010 |
Mary Hardin-Baylor |
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2009 |
McMurry |
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2008 |
Howard Payne |
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2007 |
Howard Payne |
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2006 |
McMurry |
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2005 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2004 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2003 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2002 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2001 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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2000 |
Hardin-Simmons/McMurry |
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1999 |
Hardin-Simmons |
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East Division |
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2012 |
Louisiana College |
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2011 |
Louisiana College |
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2010 |
Louisiana College |
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2009 |
Texas-Dallas |
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2008 |
Texas-Tyler |
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2007 |
East Texas Baptist |
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2006 |
Texas-Tyler/Mississippi College |
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2005 |
Texas-Tyler |
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2004 |
Mississippi College |
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2003 |
Mississippi College |
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2002 |
Ozarks/East Texas Baptist |
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2001 |
Mississippi College |
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2000 |
East Texas Baptist/Mississippi College |
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1999 |
Austin College |
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