Lady Pirates Picked Eighth In PBC Preseason Women's Basketball Poll

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong Atlantic State women's basketball squad has been picked to finish eighth in a preseason poll of Peach Belt Conference coaches, released today by league officials.

The Lady Pirates, coming off of a 17-13 season and a third-place finish in the PBC last year, received 67 points in the poll. Clayton State received seven first-place votes and 137 points total as the preseason pick to win the league title, while 2008-09 champ Francis Marion received two first place votes and 131 points total to be picked second.

Lander received three first-place votes and 120 points total and is picked third. Columbus State and GCSU each received 104 points, tying for fourth - though GCSU garnered one first-place vote. USC Aiken (95) and UNC Pembroke (69) appear ahead of the Lady Pirates in the poll.

North Georgia (53) is picked ninth, followed by Georgia Southwestern (48), Montevallo (45), Augusta State (29) and Flagler (12).

To view the complete poll, click here.

Head coach Matt Schmidt returns six players from last season's squad, including senior Dartayvia Thomas, who averaged 10.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season and also set a single-season AASU record by hitting 82.5 percent of her free throws (94-114), a mark that also led the PBC. Senior three-point specialist Portia Jones (39-121, 32.2%) also returns.

Chief among the eight newcomers for the Pirates are Longwood (Va.) transfer Brooke Long and Arizona Western CC transfer Arpine Amirkhanyan.

The Lady Pirates open up the season on Sunday, Nov. 15, with a 2:00 p.m. contest at Limestone. AASU's first home game will be on Sunday, November 29, against Pfeiffer at 2:00 p.m.