FULL SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT

University of Central Arkansas center Courtney Duever was named to the Southland Conference preseason all-conference first team, the league announced on Thursday.

Duever, a senior from Austin, Texas, was one of five players selected to the first team after being voted to the All-Southland third team following the 2012-13 season after finishing 10th in the league in scoring and third in rebounding. She enters the 2013-14 season as the Southland's leading returning rebounder at 8.8 per game, ahead of Stephen F. Austin's Porsha Roberts' 7.6; and is the second-leading returning scorer (13.6 points per game) behind Roberts (14.6).

Duever is joined on the first team by Roberts, Nicholls guard KK Babin, Southeastern Louisiana forward Aja Gibson and Northwestern State guard Janelle Perez. The second team consists of the Lamar tandem of Dominique Edwards and Gia Ayers along with McNeese State's Cecilia Okoye, Oral Roberts' Sarah Shelton, Nicholls' LiAnn McCarthy and SFA's Antoinette Carter.

The Sugar Bears begin their season on Nov. 8 in the Farris Center against Alcorn State in the first of 16 home games. The Sugar Bears, entering their second season under the direction of head coach Sandra Rushing, will also bring in ULM, Southern Illinois, Southern Mississippi, Arkansas State, Central Baptist and Philander Smith to the Farris Center in the non-conference portion of the schedule before beginning Southland play at home on Jan. 2 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and on Jan. 4 against Southland newcomer Houston Baptist.

The Sugar Bears will also host Northwestern State, Stephen F. Austin, Southeastern Louisiana, Southland newcomer New Orleans, Oral Roberts, Sam Houston State and Lamar over the course of the 18-game conference slate.

Of the 13 Southland opponents, the five UCA will be paired up with for home-and-home series will be A&M-Corpus Christi, Houston Baptist, Northwestern State, Oral Roberts, and SFA. League opponents the Sugar Bears will face on the road with no return game in the Farris Center include new Southland members Incarnate Word and Abilene Christian, plus McNeese State and Nicholls.

The Southland preseason polls will be announced next week. 

Preseason All-Southland Conference Women's Basketball Teams 

First Team
Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Porsha Roberts*	Stephen F. Austin	C	6-2	Jr.	Waco, Texas
KK Babin*	Nicholls	G	5-4	Sr.	Gonzales, La.
Courtney Duever*	Central Arkansas	C	6-1	Sr.	Austin, Texas
Aja Gibson*	Southeastern La.	F	6-1	Sr.	Somerville, Tenn.
Janelle Perez*	Northwestern St.	G	5-2	So.	El Paso, Texas
Second Team
Name	School	Pos.	Ht.	Cl.	Hometown
Cecilia Okoye	McNeese St.	F	6-1	Sr.	Mansfield, Texas
Sarah Shelton	Oral Roberts	C	6-3	Sr.	Fort Worth, Texas
Dominique Edward	Lamar	F	5-9	Jr.	Grand Prairie, Texas
LiAnn McCarthy^	Nicholls	F	5-11	Sr.	New Orleans, La.
Antoinette Carter^	Stephen F. Austin	F	6-0	Sr.	Brentwood, Tenn.
Gia Ayers^	Lamar	G	5-7	Sr.	Bryan, Texas

*2012-13 All-Southland Conference Selection
^Ties were not broken