MOC women picked second

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on October 27, 2008 1:46 PM

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MOUNT OLIVE -- The Mount Olive College women's basketball team insisted they had all the pieces in place for a championship-caliber season in 2007-08.

They did.

The Trojans claimed their first-ever Conference Carolinas tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division II East Regional.

Now, their next task is to maintain that success.

Coming off its best season in the program's Division II era, Mount Olive is picked to finish tied for second with Belmont Abbey in the 2008-09 preseason Conference Carolinas poll. The Trojans amassed 103 points, but received just one first-place vote.

"(The poll) puts a different perspective on things than in the past," said MOC head coach Wendy Lee. "We are coming off our best season (in school history) and we accomplished a lot of milestones in our program. It's quite an honor, but I don't put so much emphasis on it with the players.

"I just find a way to use it as motivation."

Lee said receiving just one first-place vote is motivation since just one coach felt Mount Olive could win the 12-team league.

How about this?

Archrival Barton College, which returns three starters, collected a whopping seven first-place votes and 116 points. Perennial power Anderson (S.C.) College, which won the 2007-08 regular-season crown, is picked fourth.

The Trojans upended both of those teams on the way to the NCAA Tournament last season. Lee's team must prove that the Trojans' championship run was not a flash in the pan.

"We want to be viewed as a competitive team every year and vie for a conference championship, which is a step forward for Mount Olive College," said Lee. "After last year, we do know that everybody wants to beat Mount Olive. Winning the conference championship puts the target on your back."

Completing the poll, in order, were Queens University of Charlotte (73 points), Limestone (68), Pfeiffer (67), Lees-McRae (53), Coker (48), Converse (32), St. Andrews (26) and Erskine (13).

Mount Olive posted school records for season wins (21) and conference wins (15) a year ago. The Trojans return four full- or part-time starters off last year's team, including two-time all-conference pick Helen Moore. The junior from Kenly will join 6-foot senior Alisa Jones in the frontcourt.

Seniors Tomeka Prichard and Brittney Robich anchor the backcourt and must help fill voids left by graduates Keona Corley and Lakeisha Monroe, who each earned all-conference in 2007-08. Prichard and Robich rank first and second, respectively, in school history in career 3-point shooting.

Also back is guard Meaghan Vanderhorst, who missed each of the last two seasons with knee injuries.

"The conference does have a lot of good teams," said Lee. "It will be another year that it can be anybody's year (to win the league). There is not any one team that I feel like will be a powerhouse, dominant ... untouchable.

"I think there will be parity."

Hopefully, with the Trojans among the mix.