Women's Basketball | 10/31/2016 11:27:00 AM

- Abilene Christian women's basketball Monday became the first Wildcat program to finish atop the Southland Conference coaches' and media polls as the Wildcats received 21 out of a possible 26 first-place votes. ACU collected 142 points in the coaches' poll and 143 in the media poll with Central Arkansas finishing as the runner-up in each vote.The Wildcats topped the Sugar Bears by one game in last year's standings. ACU went 17-1, which included a 61-49 win at Central Arkansas on Jan. 3, while the Bears went 16-2 and won the Southland Conference Tournament.Both schools were very well represented on the preseason all-conference teams. The Wildcats' had all four of their returning starters named to either the first or second team led by the defending Southland Conference Player of the Yearand three-time All-Defensive Team honoreeSenior forwardwas one of two forwards tabbed to the second team along with, who made the list despite missing the final seven games of the 2015-16 season.Central Arkansas had one guard tabbed to each team. Sugar Bear senior Maggie Proffitt was one of four first team guards and Brianna Mullins was one of three guards on the second team. The remaining first team spots were filled by Stephen F. Austin senior guard Taylor Ross and New Orleans junior guard Randi Brown.Additional second team honors went to Northwestern State senior guard Beatrice Attura and Lamar sophomore guard Chastadie Barrs.ACU's four preseason selections are its most in program history.was the Wildcats' lone honoree last October as her team was picked ninth in each poll, totaling 74 points in the coaches' poll and 69 points in the media vote.From there, however, the Wildcats stunned the league by winning 26 of 30 games in addition to the Southland Conference regular-season title. ACU claimed six Player of the Week certificates along the way, made it to as high as No. 12 in the RPI in early January, and was ranked for 10 consecutive weeks in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top-25 poll.Mason won the Player of the Week award four times and was an easy selection for Player of the Year after ranking 73rd nationally and second within the conference with 17.5 points per game thanks to an average of three treys per game. She additionally made First Team Southland Conference All-Academic and Fourth Team College Sports Madness All-Mid Major.was a Second Team All-Southland Conference selection last spring after ranking among the league's top-six leaders in blocks (1.9), steals (2.5), rebounding (7.7) and defensive rebounds (2.6). She also ranked 19th with 11.8 points per game and 15th with 2.6 assists per game, and was tabbed to both the Second Team Southland Conference All-Academic Team and Southland Conference Commisioner's Honor RollA First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, Shelstead made Third Team All-Southland Conference after averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game with 37 assists, 26 blocks and 41 steals. She additionally ranked among the Southland Conference's top-10 leaders in rebounding (7.5), offensive rebounds (2.9) and defensive rebounds (4.6) plus field-goal percentage (.483) and blocks (0.9).Lizzy was averaging 7.8 rebounds and 10.1 points per game at the time of her injury leading up to the Feb. 17 game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She was voted Player of the Week in late December after leading the Wildcats to back-to-back road wins at Eastern Washington and Idaho.No other Southland school outside Central Arkansas received any first-place votes. SFA (117) was picked third in the coaches' poll followed by Stephen F. Austin, Lamar (100), McNeese (86), Northwestern State (79), Nicholls (76), Houston Baptist (68), Sam Houston State (66), Corpus Christi (60), New Orleans (34), Southeastern Louisiana (28) and Incarnate Word (23).The media poll followed a similar order with the exception of McNeese being picked ahead of Lamar.ACU's 2016-17 season officially begins Friday, Nov. 11 at Missouri for a first round Preseason WNIT game; however, the Wildcats will first play host to McMurry in an exhibition game slated for Monday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m.The Wildcats could host several WNIT games following their Nov. 11 date at Missouri. If both ACU and UT Rio Grande Valley win their first-round games, the Wildcats have a good opportunity to play host to the Vaqueros on Monday, Nov. 14.However, should ACU lose to Missouri, the Wildcats would still be considered as possible hosts for consolation rounds one and two at Moody Coliseum on Nov. 18 and 19. Details on these game would be announced by the WNIT upon the conclusion of all first-round games on Saturday, Nov. 12.The Wildcats would go to Nebraska on Nov. 14 if both they and the Huskers are victorious in their first-round matches. A win over Nebraska put the Wildcats into the semifinals, scheduled for Nov. 17, while a loss sends them into consolation round three for all who fall in the quarterfinals. Those games will be played either Nov. 18 or 19.