[COLOR=#000000][B][I]A’dia Mathies named to All-SEC first team[/I][/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second straight season, the University of Kentucky women’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the Southeastern Conference in a voting [I][COLOR=#222222]of the 12 league coaches, as announced by the league office Tuesday.[/COLOR][/I][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]The Wildcats finished 25-9 overall last year, 11-5 in SEC play, and advanced to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons. Despite losing one of the most talented players in UK Hoops’ history in Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky enters the 2011-12 season with high expectations. The Wildcats, led by head coach Matthew Mitchell, who is entering his fifth year at UK, return 10 letter winners, including four starters from last year.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Along with All-SEC first team selection A’dia Mathies (Louisville, Ky.), senior point guard Amber Smith (Winter Haven, Fla.) returns to the hardwood after sitting out the 2010-11 season with a knee injury. Bringing in one of the nation’s top recruiting classes, Kentucky will welcome three freshmen in Bria Goss (Indianapolis, Ind.), Azia Bishop (Toledo, Ohio) and Bra’Shey Ali (Plainfield, N.J.). Also joining the Wildcats will be sophomore forward Samarie Walker (West Carrollton, Ohio), who will be eligible following the 2011 fall semester after transferring from Connecticut in December of 2010.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Tennessee tops the order of finish with 120 points, with Kentucky (100), Georgia (98), LSU (96), Florida (92) and Vanderbilt (85) rounding out the top half of the league. South Carolina (62), Arkansas (57), Auburn (39), Alabama (29), Mississippi State (25) and Ole Miss (16) round out the bottom half.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]Joining Mathies on the All-SEC First Team are Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen (SEC Player of the Year), Georgia’s Jasmine James, LSU’s LaSondra Barrett, Tennessee’s Glory Johnson and Meighan Simmons, Arkansas’ C’iera Ricketts, and Stephanie Holzer of Vanderbilt.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#000000]All-SEC Second Team includes La’Keisha Sutton and Ieashia Walker of South Carolina, Adrienne Webb of LSU, Valencia McFarland of Ole Miss, Alabama’s Ericka Russell, Georgia’s Jasmine Hassell, Tiffany Clarke of Vanderbilt and Arkansas’ Sarah Watkins.[/COLOR]
