GNAC women's basketball poll and preview (PDF)
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SEATTLE – With three returning starters, two of whom have earned preseason all-conference recognition, the Seattle Pacific Falcons have been picked for a third-place finish in the upcoming Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's basketball season.
 
The Falcons, coming off a 17-10 record last season (11-7, tie for third in the GNAC) received 76 points in the voting.
 
Western Washington, last year's conference runner-up, is the slight favorite to win it all this time. The Vikings received seven of the 10 first-place votes and 96 points. Right on their heels is Simon Fraser, which got the other three first-place votes and had 93 points.
 
Alaska Anchorage, which won last year's crown with a 16-2 record, is picked for just a fifth-place finish, totaling 57 points. The Seawolves won the GNAC and NCAA West Region tournament titles, and Division II Elite Eight last year, winding up 30-5. But they have just one returning starter (Sasha King), and also have new coach (former Northwest Nazarene assistant Ryan McCarthy, replacing Tim Moser).
 





“Our conference is really good, and it was really good last year,” SPU head coach Julie Heisey said. “We had a four-way tie for third place last year, and that just shows how much parity there is. Western Washington lost a really good player (All-GNAC first-teamer Kristin Schramm), but they have a lot of returning players, so I totally understand why they were picked first. Simon Fraser has everybody back; they're very, very talented, and all of those seniors have been playing a lot since they were sophomores.
 
“Last year, it was shown that anyone can beat anybody on a given night, and I think that's going to be more apparent this year,” Heisey added. “You have to come ready to play.”
 
Seattle Pacific junior Katie Benson and senior Rachel Murray were among the 15 players chosen to the inaugural GNAC preseason all-conference team. Benson (Snohomish, Wash. / Snohomish HS), a 6-foot-1 forward, was a unanimous pick. She ranked No. 8 in GNAC scoring last year at 14.7 points per game, was third in blocked shots (1.1) and 12^th in rebounding (6.6). Benson was a second-team all-conference selection at the end of the season.
 
Murray (Eglington, New South Wales, Australia), at 5-9, can do it all from almost any position. Officially listed as a forward, she frequently brings the ball up the court for the Falcons, and also can battle for boards in traffic underneath the hoop. Murray averaged 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and was a dependable shooter from all areas of the court: 55.2 percent overall for field goals (101 of 183), 37.2 percent for 3-pointers (16 of 43) and 79 percent for free throws (49 of 62).
 
“Last year we had no trouble scoring, and I think we're still a very good shooting team,” Heisey said. “I hope by the end of the season, we can also say defense and rebounding were two of our strengths, too. That really is something we have to be intentional abut and say, 'This is something we're capable of doing'”
 
As it has for the past two seasons, the GNAC will determine its champion and automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division II playoffs with a post-season tournament. The top six finishers in the regular-season standings will participate in the tournament with all games taking place March 6-9 in Marcus Pavilion on the Saint Martin's University campus in Lacey.
 
Seattle Pacific will be seeking a return to the NCAA West Regionals after falling short last season. Even with that, the Falcons has been to the regionals 16 times in the past 18 seasons.
 
SPU tips off on Sunday, Nov. 4, with an exhibition game against Oregon State in Corvallis at 3:30 p.m. That will be the only exhibition game on the schedule. The regular season begins the weekend of Nov. 9 and 10 with the annual Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Royal Brougham Pavilion. The Falcons are in the 5 p.m. game both days, facing Illinois Springfield on Friday, and Western State College of Colorado on Saturday.
 
The conference opener is Thursday, Nov. 29, in Brougham against Northwest Nazarene at 7 p.m.
 
 
GNAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
 
Team (1^st-place votes)      2011-12 record (GNAC)     Points
1.   W. Washington (7)         22-8 (14-4, 2^nd)                      96
2.   Simon Fraser (3)           17-11 (11-7, tie 3^rd)                93
3.   Seattle Pacific               17-10 (11-7, tie 3^rd)               76
4.   Montana St. Billings      18-12 (10-8, 6^th)                     63
5.   Alaska Anchorage         30-5 (16-2, 1^st)                        57
6.   Northwest Nazarene    18-10 (11-7, tie 3^rd)                56
7.   Central Washington        9-17 (5-13, 8^th)                     47
8.   Western Oregon              7-21 (6-12, 7^th)                     30
9.   Saint Martin's                   9-19 (4-14, 9^th)                     18
10. Alaska Fairbanks            6-22 (2-16, 10^th)                  14
 
 

GNAC PRE-SEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

*Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, Simon Fraser (P, 6-3, Sr., Vernon, BC)
*Bobbi Knudsen, MSU Billings (G, 5-8, Jr., Malta, MT)
*Katie Benson, Seattle Pacific (F, 6-1, Jr., Snohomish, WA)
*Alysa Horn, Alaska Anchorage (F, 6-0, Sr., Kodiak, AK)
*Megan Hingston, Northwest Nazarene (F, 5-9, Jr., Keizer, OR)
*Corinn Waltrip, Western Washington (G, 5-6, Sr., Beaverton, OR)
*Brit Harris, Western Washington (P, 6-2, Sr., Marysville, WA)
*Sasha King, Alaska Anchorage (G, 5-6, Sr., Norman, OK)
*Jessica VanDyke, Central Washington (G, 5-9, Jr., Chester, MT)
Kristina Collins, Simon Fraser (G, 5-10, Sr., Port Coquitlam, BC)
Rachel Murray, Seattle Pacific (F, 5-9, Sr., New South Wales)
Trishi Williams, Western Washington (W, 5-9, Sr., Mabton, WA)
Chelsea Haskey, Saint Martin's (G-F, 6-1, Jr., Olympia, WA)
Erin Chambers, Simon Fraser (F, 6-1, So., Mission, BC)
Chelsie Luke, Northwest Nazarene (G, 5-9, Jr., Meridian, ID)
  *Unanimous