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INDIANAPOLIS - Northern Kentucky University has been selected as the preseason favorite in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division by the league's women's basketball coaches. NKU (27-5 overall last season, 16-3 GLVC) received 36 total points as the favorite to repeat as GLVC East champion. The Norse, who return five starters and 11 letterwinners from last season, collected six first-place votes. Bellarmine (14-14,
10-9 GLVC) finished second in the poll with 31 points and one first-place
vote. Lewis (19-11, 14-5) was selected to finish third in the GLVC
East with 26 total points. Drury (30-3 overall, 19-0 GLVC) is the favorite in the GLVC West poll with 35 points and five first-place votes. The Lady Panthers edged Quincy (20-10, 13-6 GLVC) as the favorite. The Lady Hawks collected 29 total points and one first-place vote. NKU knocked off Drury in the GLVC Tournament championship game last season by an 86-73 score at Evansville, Ind. NKU will feature senior post player Karmen Graham, who averaged 14.3 points per game and shot 54.2 percent from the field last season. Graham also earned honorable mention All-America accolades as a junior. Four others seniors - Katie Butler, Karyn Creager, Betsey Clark and Brittany Winner - also return for the Norse. Winner averaged 9.7 ppg and was named the most outstanding player of the GLVC Tournament after pouring in 30 points against Drury in the championship game. Two other starters - junior center Angela Healy (8.8 ppg) and junior point guard Nicole Chiodi (7.2 ppg) - also return for the Norse. Sophomore post player Cassie Brannen (6.7 ppg, 4.2 rebounds per game) also returns this season. NKU will meet the University of Kentucky in its first exhibition game Nov. 1 at Lexington, Ky. Five days later, the Norse will travel to Bloomington, Ind., to meet Indiana University in another exhibition contest. After completing its exhibition schedule, NKU will open the regular season Nov. 21 with a home game against Midway (Ky.). The Norse begin defense of their GLVC title Nov. 30 with a home game against Quincy. NKU's first road game of the season will be a Dec. 9 showdown with GLVC rival Bellarmine at Louisville, Ky. GLVC women's basketball preseason poll East
Division West
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