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Austin Peay Lady Govs picked fourth in OVC preseason poll, Hanley named to preseason All-OVC team

APSU Sports Information: APSU Basketball

Austin Peay State University Lady GovsNashville, TN – Austin Peay State University women’s basketball team was picked to finish fourth in the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference race by the league’s coaches and sports information directors, the league announced at its annual media day, Tuesday, at the Millennium Maxwell House. Senior guard Whitney Hanley was named to the league’s preseason all-conference squad.

Senior guard Whitney Hanley was named to the Preseason All-OVC team, the league announced, Tuesday. APSU Basketball.
Senior guard Whitney Hanley was named to the Preseason All-OVC team, the league announced, Tuesday. APSU Basketball.

Austin Peay, which returns four starters among seven returning letterwinners, was picked fourth with 142 points. The Lady Govs finished behind reigning regular-season champion Tennessee Tech, which was picked to win the conference race, receiving 193 points and 13 of 22 first-place votes. Defending tournament-champion UT Martin was picked to finish second with the nine remaining first-place votes and 187 points. Eastern Illinois was picked to finish third with 159 points.

Whitney HanleyThe 2011-12 OVC race will feature 11 teams as SIU Edwardsville joins the fray. Picked behind the Lady Govs were Morehead State (133 points), Murray State (88), Tennessee State (82), SIU Edwardsville (73), Jacksonville State (72), Eastern Kentucky (47) and Southeast Missouri (34).

“It’s not surprising to be picked where we are.” said Lady Govs head coach Carrie Daniels. “We do have four starters returning from last year’s team but we also have a lot of newcomers. We have a lot of things to work on and are working to get everyone on the same page at both ends of the court.

Jasmine Rayner“Looking at the conference there are a lot of teams thathave a lot coming back. Even though we have four starters returning there are teams that finished ahead of us that have just as much or more coming back. I don’t think there are a lot of surprises. I believe it’s going to be an exciting race from start to finish.”

It is the third consecutive year Austin Peay women’s basketball team has been picked to finish among the league’s top four teams. Last season, the Lady Govs were picked to finish third but finished fifth in a tight conference race that saw the top five teams separated by three games.

Nicole OlszewskiHanley, a second-team All-OVC selection last season, was one of 11 players named to the Preseason All-OVC team. She returns after leading Austin Peay in scoring (12.2 ppg), three-point field-goals made (62) and assists (2.8 apg).

“I believe Whitney is very deserving of the preseason recognition,” said Daniels. “We know she is a very talented player, with the ability to shoot the ball and get to the rim with the dribble. We’ve been telling her – and I don’t know how much she believes this – that she is a great defensive player. There are several times we put her on a tough assignment and asked her to play that defensive assignment while being called on to score at the other end. Being a senior I know she wants to put it all out there.”

Meghan BussabargerHanley was joined on the all-conference squad by Tennessee Tech’s Tacarra Hayes, Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome of UT Martin, Ta’Kenya Nixon and Mariah King of Eastern Illinois, Mariah Robinson and Jessica Winfrey of Murray State, Ashar Harris and Courtney Lumpkin of Murray State and Eastern Kentucky’s Alex Jones.

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