CEDARVILLE, Ohio - Two-time defending champion Shawnee State is the pick by the coaches to repeat as women’s basketball titleholder in the American Mideast Conference for 2009-10.
The Bears earned 13-of-14 first-place votes and totaled 195 points. Shawnee State was 31-1 overall last winter and finished 15-0 in the AMC. SSU got to the second round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament.
The other first-place vote went to Cedarville, who finished second in the poll with 176 points. The Lady Jackets, 21-9 and 12-3 AMC, were also an NAIA Division II National Tournament participant.
Walsh, 19-12 and 11-4 AMC, is third with 162 points. Completing the top five in the 14-team league are Daemen (22-8, 11-4 AMC) with 155 points and Mount Vernon Nazarene (27-9, 9-6 AMC) with 142.
Each school will play six opponents twice and the other seven once to account for a 19-game conference schedule. The AMC will be granted two automatic bids to the 32-team national tournament.
[2009-10 PRE-SEASON AMC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACHES’ POLL]