AUGUSTA, Ga. – The University of South Carolina Aiken women’s basketball team has been picked fourth in the Peach Belt Conference Preseason Poll, which is voted on by the league’s head coaches, as announced by the league office Thursday.
The Pacers, under the direction of head coach Mike Brandt, are coming off a 22-8 year and a berth in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
USC Aiken is No. 12 nationally in the Division II Bulletin Preseason Poll and No. 20 in the USA Today Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.
The squad returns four letterwinners from a season ago and has a talented group of newcomers, including two transfers and four rookies, alongside one student-athlete that redshirted a season ago.
Clayton State was the near-unanimous preseason favorite, earning 12 of the 14 first-place votes. North Georgia was second, taking the other two first-place nods. Flagler was third while Columbus State rounded out the top five.
Montevallo was sixth. The Falcons were followed by GRU Augusta, Young Harris, Lander and Georgia College. UNC Pembroke was 11th while Armstrong, Francis Marion and Georgia Southwestern rounded out the 14-team league.
The Pacers open the season on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m., when the team hosts Anderson in the second game of the Holley Tractor/Crescent Automotive Conference Challenge. The first game of the doubleheader Nov. 8 features Lander and Mount Olive starting at 5 p.m., in the Convocation Center.
For a complete schedule, click here.
For the Peach Belt Conference release, click here.
Rank
|
Team
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
5th
|
6th
|
7th
|
8th
|
9th
|
10th
|
11th
|
12th
|
13th
|
Total
|
| 1. |
Clayton State |
12 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
168 |
| 2. |
North Georgia |
2 |
8 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
153 |
| 3. |
Flagler |
0 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
130 |
| 4. |
USC Aiken |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
115 |
| 5. |
Columbus State |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
109 |
| 6. |
Montevallo |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
100 |
| 7. |
GRU Augusta |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
99 |
| 8. |
Young Harris |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
91 |
| 9. |
Lander |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
80 |
| 10. |
Georgia College |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
75 |
| 11. |
UNC Pembroke |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
50 |
| 12. |
Armstrong |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
46 |
| 13. |
Francis Marion |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
42 |
| 14. |
Georgia Southwestern |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
11 |
16 |
