2012-13 A-Sun Preseason Awards | A-Sun Release
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State sophomore guard
Kristina Wells has earned a spot on the Atlantic Sun Conference’s Women’s Basketball Preseason Team, the league office announced on Thursday.
Wells returns for her second season as an Owl after averaging 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, both ranking in the top 25 in the conference in 2011-12. The Douglasville, Ga. native also held a .416 field goal percentage and a 73.3 success rate at the free throw-line.
In her first season of collegiate competition, Wells played an average of 31.9 minutes per game, the eighth highest average in the A-Sun.
“She’s a very hard worker and she’s getting her maturity level up on the court,” said Kennesaw State head coach
Nitra Perry. “She plays so hard and I don’t think anybody can stop her from getting to the rim and scoring when she wants to.”
Also released on Thursday was the Preseason Coaches’ Poll as well as the Media Poll. The black and gold were tabbed for a sixth place finish by the league’s head coaches, earning 51 points. In the Media Poll, the Owls were predicted to finish third.
The coaches selected Stetson to lead the pack, earning eight first place votes and 98 points total. Florida Gulf Coast received two first place votes and 89 points, putting the Eagles ahead of North Florida (68), East Tennessee State (64), Jacksonville (64) and then KSU. Northern Kentucky (35), USC Upstate (35), Lipscomb (21) and Mercer (20) round out the bottom half. Stetson was also predicted to win the Postseason Tournament Championship.
FGCU took the top spot in the Media Poll with 14 first place votes and 181 points with Stetson in second at 175 points and five first place votes. The Owls received 127 points and a third place prognostication, ahead of North Florida at 127 points. FGCU is predicted to win the Postseason Tournament.
“I encourage our players to focus on us and not other’s opinions of us,” added Perry. “This year our motto is the same as the whole department in ‘we can we will.’ We’re going to go out there and compete and be the best we can be every day.”
Stetson senior Victoria McGowan was named Preseason Player of the Year after averaging 16.6 points per game last season with a .420 field goal percentage and an A-Sun high 4.7 assists per contest. McGowan was also good for 62 three-pointers, 88 steals and an .866 free-throw percentage.
FGCU’s Brittany Kennedy earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors, coming off of a junior season that saw 60 steals and 119 total rebounds, 70 of which were defensive.
Wells, McGowan and Kennedy all landed a spot on the All-A-Sun Preseason Team as well as ETSU’s Destiny Mitchell, FGCU’s Sarah Hansen, Jade Cargill of Jacksonville, Ry’Van Buchanan from Mercer, USC Upstate’s Tee’Ara Copney and Shanasa Sander and Sasha Simms from Stetson.
Wells is the only sophomore on the lists that includes four juniors and five seniors.
The Owls will tipoff the 2012-13 season on Nov. 2, when they host Southern Poly before taking part in the WNIT.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women’s basketball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsWBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
