Oct. 27, 2015

St. LOUIS -- The Missouri State Lady Bears have been picked as the favorite to claim the school's 10th Missouri Valley Conference championship in a vote of the league's head coaches, media representatives and sports information directors, it was announced Tuesday (Oct. 27) at MVC Media Day in St. Louis. Additionally, senior guard Kenzie Williams was one of five players on the league's preseason all-conference team.

With all but one scholarship player returning for head coach Kellie Harper's third season, the Lady Bears collected 22 of 40 first-place votes and 373 total points. Drake earned 15 first-place nods and 347 points for second, while UNI (320), Southern Illinois (297) and Wichita State (214) each received a single No. 1 vote while placing third through fifth.

Missouri State's selection represents the 11th time in 24 MVC seasons that the Lady Bears have been the preseason choice to win the conference's regular-season title. The Lady Bears have captured the regular-season crown on eight of the previous 10 occasions they have been picked to win the MVC race, most recently the 2011-12 season.

Evansville finished sixth in the polling with 182 points, followed by Indiana State (151), Loyola (142), Bradley (126) and Illinois State (48).

Williams was a first-team all-MVC selection last season after leading the Lady Bears in scoring at 15.4 points per game, including a 16.1 average on 46 percent field goal shooting in conference games. She also averaged 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals while starting all 33 contests. The Mt. Vernon, Mo., native ranked among the league's top 15 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, assists, steals, free throw percentage, 3-pointers per game and 3-point percentage, scored in double figures 28 times, and joined the school's 1,000-point club in February.

Joining Williams on the all-conference team are preseason player of the year Lizzy Wendell of Drake, Loyola's Taylor Manuel, Dyana Pierre of Southern Illinois, and Evansville guard Sara Dickey.

Missouri State finished the 2014-15 season with an 18-15 overall record and 13-5 mark in MVC play for a third-place finish. After an 0-6 start and 8-13 record in mid-February, Missouri State reeled off 10 consecutive victories to advance to the MVC Tournament championship game and earn an at-large bid to the WNIT.

The Lady Bears begin exhibition play Nov. 2 at 12:05 p.m. with Lyon College, and tip off the regular season Nov. 13 against Missouri at 7:05 p.m. in JQH Arena.

For season ticket information, please contact Duane Miller at (417) 836-8899. Single-game tickets are on sale now atMissouriStateBears.com/tickets, by phone at (417) 836-7678 or in person at the JQH Arena box office. Tickets for all conference games will be available to the public via the same ticket outlets on Monday, Nov. 30.

#MSUBears