Nov. 1, 2012

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SAN BRUNO, Calif. - The LMU women's basketball team has been selected seventh in the 2012-13 West Coast Conference Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's nine coaches. Individual honors went out to redshirt senior Alex Cowling, who was named to the 2012-13 Preseason All-WCC Team.

BYU was selected to win the WCC, receiving five out of a possible eight first-place votes (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team), just one more first-place vote than second-place Gonzaga. This marked the first time in five years that a team other than Gonzaga was selected by the coaches to win the WCC (San Diego, 2007-08).

Gonzaga (60 pts), the 2011-12 regular season champion, finished one point behind BYU (61 pts) in the coaches' poll. Saint Mary's (48 pts) was picked third, followed by San Diego (36 pts) in fourth, Pepperdine (33 pts) in fifth, Santa Clara (27 pts) in sixth, LMU (25 pts) in seventh, Portland (24 pts) in eighth and San Francisco (10 pts) in ninth.

This marks the fourth consecutive Preseason All-WCC selection for Cowling, who led the league in scoring (22.2 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg) last season. A two-time first team All-WCC selection, Cowling broke the LMU career scoring record last winter, and now enters this season with 1,728 career points. This year, she will make a run at the WCC career scoring record of 2,165 points set by Gonzaga's Heather Bowman (2006-10).

The Lions tip off the 2012-13 season with an exhibition match-up against The Master's College on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 2 p.m. in Gersten Pavilion. The squad then hits the road for its official season opener, traveling to UTEP and New Mexico State on Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, respectively. The Lions' home opener is Thursday, Nov. 15 versus Long Beach State.

Season tickets for the 2012-13 LMU women's basketball season are available by calling (310) 338-5466 or visiting the tickets home on LMULions.com.

2012-13 West Coast Conference Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes), Points
1. BYU (5), 61
2. Gonzaga (4), 60
3. Saint Mary's, 48
4. San Diego, 36
5. Pepperdine, 33
6. Santa Clara, 27
7. LMU, 25
8. Portland, 24
9. San Francisco, 10

2012-13 Preseason All-West Coast Conference Team
Player, School, Year, Position
Alex Cowling, LMU, RS-SR, G/F
Lexi Eaton, BYU, SO, G
Meagan Fulps, Santa Clara, SR, G
Jennifer Hamson, BYU, JR, C
Amy Kame, San Diego, JR, G
Taelor Karr, Gonzaga, SR, G
Danielle Mauldin, Saint Mary's, JR, F
Jackie Nared, Saint Mary's, JR, G
Haiden Palmer, Gonzaga, JR, G
Haley Steed, BYU, Grad., G

-GO LIONS-