Oct. 20, 2004

RICHARDSON, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team has been selected to repeat as West Division Champions in the American Southwest Conference, according to the preseason poll of the league's sports information directors, media and coaches.

The Cowgirls went 27-3 last season and advanced to the Sectional Finals of the NCAA Tournament and they return three starters from last year's squad.

Diana Martinez, a senior guard that averaged 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game last season is the choice for ASC West Preseason Player of the Year.

Winners of the last seven ASC titles and six straight ASC West championships, Hardin-Simmons received 17 of 20 first-place votes in ASC West Division polling and totaled 157 points. Austin College, ASC East Division runner-up in 2004, collected 10 of 20 first-place votes and 143 points in ASC East voting.

Hardin-Simmons outdistanced Howard Payne University (120 pts.) and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (119) in the ASC West. HPU received one first-place vote and UMHB two first-place votes. McMurry University was picked to finish fourth (98), followed by Concordia University at Austin (84), Sul Ross State University (65), Texas Lutheran University (53) and Schreiner University (24).

Austin College finished ahead of two-time defending ASC East champion Mississippi College by six points. MC claimed seven first-place votes and 137 points. Louisiana College, who had two first-place votes, was picked third (117) and University of Texas at Tyler fourth with one first-place vote (89). East Texas Baptist University (76), University of the Ozarks (65), University of Texas at Dallas (65) and LeTourneau University (30) complete the ASC East predictions.

The ASC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament field was expanded from four to eight teams. The 2005 tournament will be played over three days -- Friday-Sunday, Feb. 25-27 -- at the site of the ASC West Division No. 1 seed. The top four seeded teams in each division advance to the conference postseason party with the champion claiming the Conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Championship.