CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Senior forward Kymesha Alston (Hampton, Va.) was named to the Big South’s Preseason All-Conference team and the Radford’s women’s basketball team was tabbed seventh in the annual preseason poll (80 points), as voted by the league’s head coaches and media panel.
Alston is coming off a strong junior campaign, where she averaged 11.3 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a team-high 47.8 percent from the field. The Heritage High School product upped her numbers in conference play, posting 14.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest and a 52.9 percentage from the floor.
She ended the 2008-09 campaign ranked third in the Big South in rebounding, sixth in field goal percentage and 12th in scoring. Alston recorded seven double-doubles, all in league play, which included a career-high 17-board, 10-point performance in the conference tournament against Gardner-Webb.
Alston was joined on the squad by preseason player of the year Jurica Hargraves of High Point and her teammate Mackenzie Myers, along with Gardner-Webb’s Margaret Roundtree and Dominique Hudson.
In 2008-09, Radford, under then first-year head coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba, finished third in the Big South with a 9-7 mark and a 10-18 overall record. The Highlanders return a pair of starters in Alston and junior Denay Wood, three returning letterwinners, and seven newcomers.
Defending champion Liberty, along with High Point were named the preseason favorites (160 points) with nine and seven first place votes, respectively. Tournament runner-up Gardner-Webb was tabbed third with 147 points and four first place votes, followed by Coastal Carolina in fourth (101 points). Six points separated fifth through seventh; Charleston Southern (86), Winthrop (84) and Radford (80). UNC Asheville (57) and Presbyterian (25) rounded out the poll.
Radford begins the season on road, Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. against William and Mary. The Highlanders home opener is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21 when they host Mount St. Mary’s at 7 p.m.
2009-10 Big South Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Jurica Hargraves, Jr., G, High Point (Preseason Player of the Year)
Mackenzie Maier, Jr., F, High Point
Margaret Roundtree, Sr., F, Gardner-Webb
Dominique Hudson, Jr., G, Gardner-Webb
Kymesha Alston, R-Sr., F, Radford
2008-09 Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll (combined points)
Rk Team (first-place votes) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Points
T-1. Liberty (9) 81 32 42 -- 5 -- -- -- -- 160
T-1. High Point (7) 63 64 21 12 -- -- -- -- -- 160
3. Gardner-Webb (4) 36 48 49 6 -- 8 -- -- -- 147
4. Coastal Carolina -- -- 14 42 30 8 3 4 -- 101
5. Charleston -- 8 -- 30 20 4 18 6 -- 86
6. Winthrop -- -- 7 12 30 20 9 6 -- 84
7. Radford -- 8 7 18 5 24 9 8 1 80
8. UNC Asheville -- -- -- -- 10 12 18 16 1 57
9. Presbyterian College -- -- -- -- -- 4 3 -- 18 25