October 13, 2003

LADY PALADINS PICKED SECOND IN SOCON PRESEASON POLL
SHEALEY TABBED AS COACHES' PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHARLESTON, South Carolina -- According to the 2003-04 Southern Conference Coaches' preseason poll, Furman's Lady Paladin basketball team will finish second in the league race this year, receiving one first-place vote and totaling 85 points behind Chattanooga's 99 points and nine first-place votes. In addition, senior Deshara Shealey from Greenbay, Va., was selected to once again earn the coaches' vote for Southern Conference Player of the Year.

The Lady Paladins, who finished fourth in the league in 2002-03, return all 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including Shealey. In addition, 2001-02 all conference center Orion Wake is back following a redshirt season. The Lady Mocs are also returning a strong corps, with nine returning players, including two-time Southern Conference MVP Miranda Warfield, while third-place pick Western Carolina brings back eight players after last season's second-place league finish.

According to the poll, the Eagles of Georgia Southern are poised to finish fourth, UNC Greensboro was chosen fifth, Appalachian State sixth, Davidson seventh, Elon eighth, College of Charleston ninth, ETSU 10th, and Wofford 11th.

Shelaey is the only member of the Lady Paladin team to earn preseason all-conference laurels. The Mocs placed two on the preseason team in Warfield and Heather McDivitt, ETSU placed two in Lauren Trantham and Kiya Verdell, and Appalachian State, Davidson, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, and Western Carolina each had a single representative.

2003-04 Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Team
Kiki Conyers, Appalachian State
Miranda Warfield, Chattanooga
Heather McDivitt, Chattanooga
Emily Callahan, Davidson
Lauren Trantham, ETSU
Kiya Verdell, ETSU
Deshara Shealey, Furman
Shawnica Hill, Ga. Southern
Jacinda Lambert, UNCG
Tiffany Hamm, Western Carolina

Preseason Player of the Year: Deshara Shealey, Furman