HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Coker College women’s basketball team is picked to finish in the top 10 of the Conference Carolinas women’s basketball standings according to the 2010-11 Conference Carolinas women’s basketball preseason coaches’ poll released Thursday.

Barton College is ranked first after receiving five first place votes, while Mount Olive College and Queens University of Charlotte are tied for second and Limestone College is fourth. The Cobras are tied with Converse College for the ninth spot in the poll.

The Cobras are led by first year head coach Jenny Finora, who looks to improve on last season’s 3-18 overall record. Leading the way for Coker this season are guards Jasmine Alston and Megan Thomas. Alston, a junior, averaged just under 10 points per game last year with 4.3 rebounds per game, while Thomas, a senior, returns to lead the offense from the point guard position. She averaged just under four points a game last season.

The addition of Finora at the helm and six new players hopes to return Coker to the top of the Conference Carolinas standings.

Coker opens their season on Monday, November 15 at UNC-Pembroke and they will have their first home game on Wednesday, November 17 against Morris College. The Pembroke game tips-off at 6:00 p.m., while the Morris game will be start at 5:30 p.m.

Women's Basketball Preseason Poll (# of First place votes in parenthesis)

1. Barton College (5)

T-2. Mount Olive College (3)

T-2. Queens University of Charlotte (1)

4. Limestone College (2)

5. Belmont Abbey College

6. Pfeiffer University

7. Erskine College

8. Lees-McRae College

T-9. Coker College

T-9. Converse College

11. St. Andrews Presbyterian College