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Picked to repeat, women’s basketball looks to avoid complacency

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The women’s basketball season is set to begin next week as the new campaign start off in the preseason Women’s NIT, against the University of Missouri.

The team is picked to repeat as Southland Conference champions in the coaches’ and media polls, and is the first ACU athletics program to do so since moving to Div. 1. But head coach Julie Goodenough knows there is room to improve.

“I don’t think we can ever become complacent with where we are right now,” Goodenough said. “Our mission statement for our program is ‘Godly women striving for excellence’, and excellence is not about being the same team this year as we were last year, that’s just being mediocre and being satisfied with status quo.”

Four returning starters were also selected to the preseason all-conference team, in seniors Suzzy Dimba and Alexis Mason who made the first team, and seniors Lizzy Dimba and Sydney Shelstead who made the second team.

“All four seniors making the preseason all-conference team is huge, but it all comes down to how we perform and how we handle ourselves this season,” Suzzy Dimba said. “We have to take this accolade and prove that we deserved it.”
Last season, Mason was named Southland Conference Player of the Year as she put up 17.5 points per game as well as 73 total assists and 89 three pointers, leading her team in each category.
She was also named to the All-Academic Southland Conference first team.
Suzzy Dimba made the Second Team All-Southland Conference  in the previous season as well as the All-Defensive Team.
She led the team defensively with 75 steals and 56 blocks. She also put up the most rebounds on the team with 231.
Lizzy Dimba suffered an injury during the previous season, but still finished fifth on the team in points with 232 total and third on the team with 180 total rebounds.
Shelstead was named to the All-Southland Conference third team and was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team.
She posted 14.1 points per games with 7.4 rebounds a game and also led the team with a total of 132 free throws made.
“Being named to the all-conference team is a really cool accolade, it is cool that people view us to be the best,” said Mason. “I also understand that this is based on last years accomplishment so being a new year, we have to be ready to work hard and attack the contenders. The main goal that we have is to be a better version of ourselves and a better team than we were last year. We get a chance to represent ACU in the preseason WNIT and shock some people. We want to of course make post season play, not only make it but be successful and win games.”
The women have a scheduled exhibition against McMurry in Moody Coliseum on Monday before heading into the regular season.

About Max Preston

Max Preston is a senior convergence journalism major from Amarillo.

I wouldn’t be the sports director if I didn’t love sports. I’m involved in Galaxy social club and like being social. I’m here for a good time not a long time.

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