Transy women picked to repeat as league champs | Lexington Herald Leader

Transylvania was voted the favorite to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball championship this season in balloting by league coaches announced Tuesday.

The defending HCAC champions received seven of the 10 first-place votes and collected 94 points in all. Franklin finished second, claiming two first-place votes and 89 total points.

Hanover placed third in the poll with 79 points and the final first-place vote and was followed by Defiance with 65 points. Manchester (60), Bluffton (50), Rose-Hulman (46), Earlham (28), Anderson (25), and Mount St. Joseph (14) rounded out the poll.

Transylvania (21-6 overall, 16-2 HCAC) won the regular-season title in 2012-13 but lost to Hanover in the conference tournament championship game.

A pair of All-HCAC selections return for Transylvania. Junior guard Nicole Coffman from Casey County led the Pioneers in scoring last season (19.8 points per game) and was named HCAC Most Valuable Player. Sophomore guard Katelyn Smith from Perry County Central contributed 15 points per game, while leading the conference in free throw percentage (87.1).

Transylvania opens its season Nov. 15-16, hosting the Besuden Classic, with games against Adrian College and Maryville College.