Basketball | 10/23/2023 2:42:00 PM

RICHARDSON, Texas (Oct. 23, 2023) – Last season, the Texas Woman's basketball team claimed the 2021-22 Lone Star Conference Regular Season Championship and finished second in the LSC Championship. For the 2023-24 season, the Pioneers were tabbed to finish second in the LSC Preseason Poll.

TWU received the most first place votes at 17, but were narrowly topped in overall points by Angelo State for the first spot. Angelo State, who defeated the Pioneers by one point in the LSC Championship game, received 15 first place votes and 652 overall points to TWU's 633 points.

Last season, the Pioneers went 26-6 and 19-3 in LSC action – recording the most wins and fewest losses in program history. Along with those two records, TWU also made history in several other categories, winning the most consecutive games at 21, scoring the most points in a quarter at 35, and receiving their highest national ranking and regional seed at No. 3 and No. 2, respectively. Additionally, in the LSC Championships quarterfinal game, the Pioneers set a new record for highest three point percentage in a game, shooting 72.2% from behind the arc.

After the record-breaking season, multiple Pioneers were named to to the D2CCA All-Region team for the first time in program history and Coach Beth Jillson became the only Pioneer head coach to win the LSC Noel Johnson Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

The Pioneers return six players from last year's roster – Jada Celsur, Kayla Glover, Ariyanna Hines, Scout Huffman, Ashley Ingram and Leila Patel. They also welcomed three freshmen – Avery McConnell, Ahrianna Morgan and Kaylie Morgan – and four transfers in Gionna Carr, Hadyn Collie, Caroline Glud Rasmussen and Averee Kleinhans.

The LSC also named Preseason Players to Watch from each institution.

From TWU, Ingram was selected as the Player to Watch. Last season, she led the team in rebounds (204), assists (64), blocks (23), field goal percentage (52%), free throws made (149) and attempts (186). Ingram recorded a season high 23 points on Nov. 16 against Harding and finished with seven double-doubles on the year. Ingram was named Oakley's Pioneer Athlete of the Year, Basketball Outstanding Athlete of the Year, College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, and was a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention (first Pioneer since 1991). She also was LSC Preseason Player of the Year and was selected to the All-LSC First Team, Academic Team, LSC All-Tournament Team, D2CCA All-South Central Region.

The Pioneers open their season on the road at the DII Tip Off Tourney hosted by Montana State Billings on Friday, Nov, 3-5.

Coach Beth Jillson and junior Pioneers Ashley Ingram and Ariyanna Hines share their thoughts on the upcoming season in a video interview that will be released as a part of LSC Virtual Hoops Week on Friday, Oct. 27 at 1:20 p.m.

The full 2023-24 LSC Preseason Poll is included below:

No.	Team (First Place Votes)	Points
1	Angelo State (15)	652
2	Texas Woman's (17)	633
3	UT Tyler (9)	627
4	Lubbock Christian (3)	606
5	West Texas A&M	524
6	Texas A&M – Kingsville	492
7	St. Edward's	379
8	Cameron	311
9	Oklahoma Christian	270
9	UT Permian Basin	270
11	Eastern New Mexico	248
12	Western New Mexico	233
13	Texas A&M International	225
14	UAFS	202
15	Midwestern State	172
16	St. Mary's	140