NASHVILLE – The Great Midwest Athletic Conference released its 2023 Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' poll, and the Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball team is picked No. 3 in the 14-team league. Trevecca received the only first place vote that didn't go to defending Great Midwest and NCAA Division II National Champion Ashland University.
2023-24 Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason Poll
| # |
SCHOOL |
VOTES |
| 1 |
Ashland University (13) |
183 |
| 2 |
Kentucky Wesleyan College |
161 |
| 3 |
Trevecca Nazarene University (1) |
152 |
| 4 |
Northwood University |
136 |
| t5 |
Malone University |
125 |
| t5 |
Thomas More University |
125 |
| 7 |
Ursuline College |
111 |
| 8 |
Hillsdale College |
102 |
| 9 |
Walsh University |
95 |
| 10 |
Cedarville University |
78 |
| 11 |
University of Findlay |
64 |
| 12 |
Tiffin University |
59 |
| t13 |
Lake Erie College |
44 |
| t13 |
Ohio Dominican University |
44 |
Ashland, the defending and undefeated national champion, is the preseason favorite with regular season runner up KWC in second.
After Trevecca, in third, Northwood is picked fourth before conference newcomer Thomas More University and Malone University rounding out the top six tied for fifth.
2023 PREVIEW
Karen Booker returns for the 2023-2024 season after having an unforgettable first season on the Hill.
Karen Booker's revival of the Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball program earned her the 2023 TSWA Pat Summitt Women's Basketball Coach of the Year and 2023 Great Midwest Coach of the Year. Booker was hired as Trevecca's sixth women's coach last season. She led the team to a 21-win season and the program's first appearance in the NCAA Division II Championships. Trevecca made the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed and advanced to the Great Midwest Finals after being picked to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the preseason coaches' poll.
THE ROSTER
The Trojans return six from last year's roster including three seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores.
The three returning seniors are first team all-conference selection
Keeley Carter,
Faith Wilken, and Kor Forensa Liu. Carter set numerous career and season records while reaching 1,215 career points during the season, becoming the NCAA Era career scoring leader.
Faith Wilken scored double figures in 12 games and had a pair of double-double (points-rebounds) games. She hit 47 three pointers on the season and led the team in steals and defensive rebounds.
Kor Fornesa Liu scored in double figure three times with a season-high 15 vs. Ohio Dominican.
The duo of juniors are Tatum, who is returning from a season-ending injury and is not expected to suit up this year, and transfer
Brin Hultz (Principia College).
The returning sophomores for the Trojan's are
Lili Wilken (Page HS) and
Jayda Woods (Ensworth HS). Wilken had one of the best games of the year for any Trojan with a 25-point effort against Lake Erie College on Jan. 25. Wilken led the team in rebounding four times and in scoring three times. She scored in double figures 15 times. Woods played a key role in her first season averaging 18.8 minutes per game over 31 games. Consistently putting up points, rebounds, assists, steals in every game.
There are nine newcomers to make up the 15-person roster. The newcomers include one graduate student, a senior, and seven freshmen.
There are two transfers on the roster. The previously referenced
Brin Hultz and
Konnor Gambrell (Huntington University. Hultz transferred, who played at Principia College last season also played at Millikin University and Culver-Stockton College. Gambrell is a grad transfer from Huntington University and previously played for the late Nicki McCray-Penson at Old Dominion University.
The seven freshmen include
Brianna Burgess (TSWA All-State / Creek Wood HS),
Braley Bushman (TSWA All-State / Page HS),
Monique Emelifeonwu (Canberra Nationals Academy Australia),
Kathryne Patton (All-Region / Science Hill HS),
Ebony Perry (All-Region / Brentwood Academy),
Amaya Thomas (Ezell Harding Academy), and
Carden Vailes (Trinity Christian).
Combined, the roster now includes one graduate student, three seniors and two juniors. That is six in the upper class. There are two sophomores and seven freshmen.
2023 SCHEDULE
https://tnutrojans.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule
The thirty-first Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball team begins a 27-game regular season schedule with two exhibitions scheduled on the front end. The opening game is an exhibition with cross-town Fisk University for the 2023 Trevecca Homecoming game on November 4, 2023.
The next game is in Clarksville, Tennessee on Monday, November 6th when the Trojans visit NCAA Division I Austin Peay State University in a game that will be the first regular season sporting event in the F&M Bank Arena, the new downtown home arena for the Governors. The game is considered an exhibition for Trevecca, but a regular season game for the Govs.
The regular season begins with two home games in the Trevecca Midwest Crossover. The first two games (11/10, 11/11) are against Southwest Baptist and Drury University at Trojan Fieldhouse.
The Trojan's head on the road to face two future conference foes - the University of Alabama-Huntsville (11/15) and then Lee University (11/18). Trevecca is in its last season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, next year they will be members of the Gulf South Conference where UAH and Lee are current members.
Trevecca returns to The Hill (11/21) to face Union University, also a member of the Gulf South, before opening their 2023-24 Great Midwest Conference Slate with the University of Findlay (11/28).
The Trojan's begin December on the road against Ursuline (12/7) and Lake Erie (12/9). Trevecca then heads home to face Saginaw Valley State University (12/16).
After the Christmas Break, Trevecca returns to action on the road at Kentucky State University when the face the Thoroughbreds December 30.
The Trojans open 2024 with four consecutive home conference games at the Fieldhouse against Ashland University, Malone University, Hillsdale College, and Northwood University, respectively. Five of their seven January 2024 games are at home. After two road conference games the Trojans end the month at home vs Lake Erie (1/27).
There are nine games in the slate in February, four of those are in the friendly confines of Trojan Fieldhouse. The first two in February are at Findlay and Ohio Dominican, but the next four are at home.
The Trojans wrap up the regular season with a four-game road trip starting with three in February - Walsh University (2/22), Cedarville (2/24), Thomas More (2/29) - and ending at Kentucky Wesleyan (3/2).
The conference tournament begins with the Great Midwest Quarterfinals at the home of the top four seeds on March 5, 2024. The G-MAC Semifinals and Finals are March 8-9 at home of the regular season champion.
2022 REVIEW
Trevecca finished the 2022-23 season 22-10 overall (15-5 G-MAC) and were undefeated at home, winning all 13 regular season home games at Trojan Fieldhouse. The Trojans made it 14-0 at home with a win over Walsh in the Great Midwest Quarterfinals. In fact, TNU has a 15-game home winning streak entering the 2023-24 season when you include their win in the final home game of the 2021-22 season.
The Purple and White finished the regular season with a 19-8 record, advancing to the 2023 Great Midwest Championships as the No. 3 seed. This confounded many as the team was voted to finish twelfth in the preseason coach's poll. The Trojans surpassed expectations again at the championships, making it to the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Finals.
After beating Walsh in the quarterfinals, the Trojans sent No. 2 seed Kentucky Wesleyan College packing with a 58-48 win in the semifinals to reach the G-MAC Finals.
In the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships Final, the NCAA Division II No. 1 Ashland University Eagles (31-0), on their home court, fought off multiple runs by the Trojans to settle for an 18-point (83-65) victory.
Trevecca, now headed to the 2023 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships as the No. 5 seed with a 21-9 record. Their quarterfinal matchup pitted them against No. 4 seed Michigan Tech University (25-7), the Trojans pulled the upset with a 65-63 victory. Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball team (22-10) traveled to Ashland for the 2023 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament Semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Ashland University (33-0) and fell 73-49, which brought the Trojan's season to a close.
2023-24 INDIVIDUAL AWARDS | RECORDS
KEELEY CARTER
Became the NCAA Division II era all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 season. Carter eclipsed Sarah Raby as the all-time scoring leader with 21 points in TNU's win over Tiffin University on February 11 and currently has 1,215 career points entering the 2023-24 season.
She became the third NCAA era Trojan to score 1000 career points. She reached the mark in her 58th career game on Jan. 31, 2023 in Trevecca's 63-55 win over Kentucky Wesleyan.
NCAA Era Career Record: Points - 1,215 (reached 1,000 points in 58th career game)
NCAA Era Career Record: Made Free Throw – 330
NCAA Era Season Record: Points - 573 (2022-23)
NCAA Era Season Record: Scoring Average - 17.9 (2022-23)
NCAA Era Season Record: Made Field Goal - 195 (2022-23)
NCAA Era Season Record: Made Free Throw - 149 (2022-23)
Career High Game: Points – 29 vs Tiffin
Double Digit Scoring Streak: 42 Games (spanned part of sophomore season)
Career Double Digit Scoring Games: 28
Great Midwest Athlete of the Week award on Dec. 12, 2022.
Great Midwest First Team All-Conference
Great Midwest Championships All-Tournament Team
EMMA PALMER
Finished her career with 660 points and 356 rebounds with an 11.8 point and 6.4 rebound average while shooting 57.0 from the field in her career.
NCAA Era Career Record: Scoring Average 11.8 (Christian Curtner 10.53)
NCAA Era Season Record: Field Goal Percentage: .611 (Sarah Raby 54.9% | 2013-2014)
NCAA Division II Ranking: No. 5 Field Goal Percentage 61.1%
Great Midwest Athlete of the Week award on January 9, 2023
Great Midwest Second Team All-Conference
Great Midwest Championships All-Tournament Team
BAYLEIGH CARMICHEL
Finished career with 682 points, 303 rebounds, and 150 made three-point field goals.
NCAA Era Career Record: Made Three-Point Field Goals - 150 (Haley Felker - 127)
KAREN BOOKER
Great Midwest Coach of the Year
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