Albany State women picked to win SIAC East

ATLANTA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced its 2015-16 Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, all-conference team, and predicted order of finish on Tuesday during the league’s media day in Tucker, Ga.

Albany State junior Artisha Holston was chosen as the conference’s preseason Player of the Year, while teammates Keidra Green and Ieshia Young were named to the all-conference team.

Holston, a 6-foot-1 forward from Butler, Ga., averaged 13.1 points per game last season and led the SIAC in rebounds with with 12.1. She led the Lady Rams (19-10, 14-3 last year) to the 2015 SIAC tournament championship and a first round berth in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament. Holston made the all-conference teams during her freshman and sophomore seasons and was named the 2014 SIAC Freshman of the Year. She is also a two-time NCAA South Region selection.

Green, a 5-8 senior guard from Cordele, Ga., averaged 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds during the 2014-15 season. She also shot 71 percent from the free throw line and recorded 1.4 steals per game. She averaged 13.3 points and made eight 3-pointers in three games to help the Lady Rams win the 2015 SIAC crown.

Recognized as the team’s top defensive player, Young sparked the Lady Rams to victories in several games last season. A 5-6 senior guard from Albany, Ga., Young averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals. She also recorded a 41.7 field goal percentage. Her career-high 20 points against LeMoyne-Owen and 16 points versus Miles College propelled her to the BOXTOROW Player of the Week Award.

As a team, Albany State was chosen to win the SIAC East Division title. The Lady Rams claimed the top spot by tallying eight first-place votes. Benedict College, the team ASU defeated 74-64 in the last year’s SIAC title game, finished second with three first-place votes, followed by Claflin, Paine, Clark Atlanta, and Fort Valley State.

Kentucky State was picked first in the SIAC West Division with nine first-place votes. LeMoyne-Owen was second with two first-place votes, while Spring Hill was voted to finish third. Stillman, Central State, Tuskegee, Miles, and Lane rounded out the rest of the west division.

2015-2016 SIAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Team

*Artisha Holston, Albany State

*Brittnee Hazel, Fort Valley State

*Shaia Horton, Kentucky State

*Mykala Jones, Clark Atlanta

Keidra Green, Albany State

KaDeeja Vaughn, Benedict

Shaniece Brown, Claflin

Sierra Bubb, Clark-Atlanta

Kourtni Perry, Central State

Janisha Wilkerson, Paine

Shereba Montgomery, Fort Valley State

Tannasia Rhodes, Paine

Jocelyn Ramos, Stillman

Rachel Brownlee, Tuskegee

Ieisha Young, Albany State

SIAC Preseason Player of the Year — Artisha Holston, Albany State

SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year — Brittnee Hazel, Fort Valley State

*Denotes players were members of the 2014-2015 SIAC All-Conference team.

Predicted Order of Finish

East Division (1st Place Votes)

1. Albany State (8)

2. Benedict (3)

3. Claflin

4. Paine (1)

5. Clark Atlanta

6. Fort Valley State

West Division

1. Kentucky State (9)

2. LeMoyne-Owen (2)

3. Spring Hill (1)

4. Stillman (1)

5. Central State

6. Tuskegee

7. Miles

8. Lane (1)