NDSU's LeMar Named Preseason First Team All-Summit League

ELMHURST, Ill. – The North Dakota State University women's basketball team was picked ninth in The Summit League preseason poll released Tuesday, Oct. 7, by the league office.

The Bison tallied 158 points in the poll.

Senior guard Brooke LeMar, the reigning Summit League Newcomer of the Year and a second team all-league selection in 2013-14, was named to the preseason all-league first team after averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 assists per game last season.

The Bison return three starters from 2013-14 in LeMar and junior forwards Holly Johnson and Marena Whittle.

South Dakota State was selected to capture the 2014-15 Summit League women's basketball championship after winning its third consecutive regular season title a year ago. The Jackrabbits collected 27-of-32 first-place votes and 513 points in a vote of the league's head coaches, SIDs and select media. Western Illinois' Ashley Luke was tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year.

South Dakota, last season's tournament champion, earned four first-place votes and 420 points to place second in the poll. Regular season runner-up IUPUI was in third place followed by Western Illinois in fourth with the final first-place tally. Denver, which finished second at the tournament a year ago, came in fifth while Fort Wayne placed sixth. Oral Roberts, which returns to the league for the first time since 2011-12, Omaha and the Bison rounded out the poll.

NDSU opens the 2014-15 season at home in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse with an exhibition game against Bemidji State (Minn.) on Nov. 7 before hosting Kent State for the regular season opener a week later on Nov. 14.

 

2014-15 Summit League Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Place	Team	Points (1st)
1.	South Dakota State	513 (27)
2.	South Dakota	420 (4)
3.	IUPUI	408
4.	Western Illinois	358 (1)
5.	Denver	253
6.	Fort Wayne	202
7.	Oral Roberts	178
8.	Omaha	165
9.	North Dakota State	158

 













 

Preseason Player of the Year: Ashley Luke, Western Illinois
First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Brooke LeMar	North Dakota State	G	Sr.
Ashley Luke	Western Illinois	F	Jr.
Nevena Markovic	IUPUI	F/C	Sr.
Nicole Seekamp	South Dakota	G	Sr.
Haley Seibert	Fort Wayne	G	Sr.
Megan Waytashek	South Dakota State	G/F	Sr.
Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Year
Paige Bradley	Denver	G	Jr.
Raeshel Contreras	South Dakota	G	Sr.
Tia Hemiller	South Dakota	G	Jr.
Taijhe Kelly	Omaha	C	Sr.
Michelle Maher	Western Illinois	G	Jr.