2004-05 BASKETBALL PREVIEWS--PEACH BELT CONFERENCE WOMEN

Our preseason basketball previews continue with an outlook on the Peach Belt Conference women. The PBC had its best season ever on the hardwood, sending five women's teams to the NCAA tournament, while Augusta State advanced to the Elite Eight. Which teams will thrive in 2005? Keep reading to find out!

Armstrong Atlantic State--A combined 50-12 record. A PBC regular season co-championship. A PBC tournament title. Not to mention back-to-back trips to the NCAA tournament. Those are just some of the many accomplishments the AASU women have had under Head Coach Roger Hodge have had over the last two seasons. Now the challenge for the Lady Pirates (23-8) is trying to make a third straight trip to postseason play. AASU will have to do it without All-America guard Tasha Washington and All-PBC player Vandy Noldon. But the Lady Pirates do have three of their starters coming back, with PBC Freshman Of The Year Kaneetha Gordon and junior guard Alicia Durham leading the way. The AASU women will be tested early, as they travel to central Florida to play in the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic.

Georgia College & State University--The Lady Bobcats are coming off their best season ever, finishing last season at 28-6, winning the Peach Belt Conference tournament, and reaching the South Atlantic regional final, where they fell to Augusta State. If the GC&SU women hope to match last year's mark, Head Coach John Carrick must replace six players, including career three-point shooters Breane Haggard and Alicia Ransom, as well as point-guard Adrienne Tucker. However, the Lady Bobcats do bring back All-PBC first teamer Latia Love and guard Kirsti Jones.

Lander--The Bearcats will look to defend their PBC regular season title after going 24-6 overall and 14-2 in conference play. PBC Coach Of The Year Jonathan Norton returns two All-PBC players in Tracy Jacobs and Natasha Hemphill. Seniors Jacquay White and Ashley Johnson come back to give the Bearcats some much-needed leadership.

North Florida--The Lady Ospreys (24-6) are another program that has reached back-to-back NCAA tournaments the last two years, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 2003. However, Head Coach Mary Tappmeyer must replace first-team all-league Skye Barber, who averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. The UNF women will look to win the PBC South Division title for the third time in four seasons.

Columbus State--After struggling to a 11-16 record last season, the Lady Cougars will look to regain its place among the PBC's elite teams in 2004-05. Lucia Heston and Angie Parkman both to bounce back from injuries that kept them sidelined a year ago, while Head Coach Jay Sparks welcomes back leading scorer Erin Gibbs, top rebounder Angelica Graham, point guard Denise Stubbs, and Karina Pulici. CSU also has seven newcomers to help lead the team back to the NCAA tournament.

Augusta State--The surprising Lady Jaguars (24-8) reached their first-ever Elite Eight as the eighth seed in the South Atlantic regional before falling to Merrimack (Mass.). Now Head Coach Greg Wilson must start over, as he welcomes ten newcomers into the fold. In addition, Augusta State has just one returning starter in senior wing Latoya Renwrick.

Kennesaw State--The Lady Owls finished 19-10 last year, but Head Coach Colby Tilley will ten new players, including nine freshmen. In a Peach Belt Conference that is getting stronger by the year, that could spell trouble for the KSU women.

Francis Marion--FMU returns six letterwinners from last season's 14-13 team that finished third in the PBC North Division. Jennifer Howard and Michelle Ghere return for their senior years. Looks like Head Coach Valecia Tedder will need the leadership of both players for the FMU women to contend this season.

Clayton State--The Lakers have a brand-new head coach in Dennis Cox, who spent the last six seasons at Daytona Beach Community College (Fla.). Obviously, Cox has a lot of work ahead, as the Clayton State women struggled to a disappointing 10-18 mark last season.

USC Aiken--The Lady Pacers look to improve upon last year's 14-14 record, which included a 6-10 record in PBC play. USCA must replace two starters from a year ago in Sarah Kendrick and Erica Larsen. But Aiken does bring back the core of its frontcourt in Benazura Serbecic and Lana Mandic.

USC Upstate--Formerly USC Spartanburg, the Spartans return a solid core of players to a team that managed just nine wins a year ago.

UNC Pembroke--Former UNCP men's head coach John Haskins takes over as the women's head coach. Haskins replaced Sandi Littleton during the off-season. He'll have his work cut out for him this season, as the Lady Braves finished a dismal 8-20 last year.