AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has announced the 2022-23 women’s basketball season preview with the coaches poll and the preseason All-Conference team. The season begins for the majority of teams on Friday, Nov. 11, with conference play starting Dec. 10. The season concludes with the top eight teams advancing to the site of the #1 seed for the PBC Tournament March 1-4.

For the first time in program history, Georgia Southwestern State has been chosen as the coaches preseason favorite. The Hurricanes captured five first-place votes and 75 total points to edge out North Georgia in second with 74. GSW is coming off of their most successful season ever with a school-record number of wins and the first trip – and win -at the NCAA Tournament. The ‘Canes return nearly the entire team with their top five scorers back including five seniors led by Ava Jones and Jolicia Williams.

North Georgia made their second NCAA Elite Eight appearance last season and advanced to the national semifinals for the first time. UNG also won their fourth PBC Tournament in the last five years to go with their third regular-season championship in the same time frame. The 22-23 Nighthawks return a solid core from that team with second-leading scorer Caroline Martin back along with five seniors or graduate students.

The coaches poll is below followed by the preseason All-Conference team.  Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams or vote for their own players.

Rank	Team	Points
1.	Georgia Southwestern State (5)	75
2.	North Georgia (3)	74
3.	Clayton State (1)	61
4.	Columbus State	58
5.	Lander (1)	44
6.	Augusta	43
7.	Flagler	35
8.	Young Harris	28
9.	Georgia College & State University	21
10.	USC Aiken	11

 

Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team

Mackenzie Johnson, Young Harris

• A junior forward from Chattanooga, Tenn.
• A third-team All-Conference selection in 2021-22
• Averaged 13.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game last season, leading the PBC in rebounding and was one of only two players in the league to average double-figures in scoring and rebounding
• Ranked 22^nd in NCAA Division II in rebounds per game, also ranked fourth in the PBC in field goal percentage and 12^th in blocks
• Had 11 double-doubles last season including a 31-point, 18-rebound effort against Flagler and 24 rebounds against Lees-McRae, the most in a single game in the league last season and tied for fifth-most in a single game in PBC history

Ava Jones, Georgia Southwestern

• A senior guard from Carencro, La.
• A first-team All-Conference selection last year she was also named the PBC Player of the Week twice
• Averaged 15.3 ppg in 29 games last season and was ranked fourth in the PBC in scoring; also ranked third in the PBC in field goal percentage, fourth in free-throw percentage and third in steals
• Scored 20 or more points seven times with a career-high 33 against North Georgia, tied for third-most in a single game in the PBC last year
• Averaged 20 ppg in the NCAA Southeast Regional, shooting 48% from the field and 92% from the line

Kayla Langley, Georgia Southwestern

• A junior forward from Spring Hill, Fla.
• A second-team All-Conference selection in 2021-22
• Averaged 11.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, ranked in the PBC’s top 20 in both categories; also tied for seventh in the PBC in blocks per game
• Scored in double figures 15 times last year with five games of 20 or more points with four double-doubles
• Scored a career-high 23 points twice against USCA and Lander

Caroline Martin, North Georgia

• A junior guard from Cumming, Ga.
• A first-team All-Conference selection last year, she was also named D2CCA second-team All-Region
• Averaged 14.9 ppg last season and was ranked fifth in the PBC in scoring; also ranked second in the PBC in free throw percentage and made more free throws than any other PBC player
• Tied a season-high 28 points against Western Washington in the NCAA National Semifinals, hitting 15 of 18 free throws, the most made free throws in a single game in the PBC last season
• Scored 20 or more points five times

Audrey McElhaney, Clayton State

• A senior forward from Tifton, Ga.
• A second-team All-Conference selection in 2021-22, her second straight All-Conference honor
• Ranked sixth in the PBC in scoring with 15.3 ppg last season; also ranked eighth in rebounding, sixth in field goal percentage, ninth in free throw percentage and 11^th in blocks and steals
• The PBC Player of the Week on Jan. 10, she had a pair of 30-point games including 33 against Young Harris which was tied for third-most in a single game in the conference last season
• Had seven double-doubles on the season including a season-high 18 rebounds against North Georgia