IRVINE, Calif. – A new basketball season is on the horizon and the Concordia University Irvine women's basketball team is projected to finish in the top four in the PacWest Conference.
The league announced the Preseason Poll votes for the upcoming season and the Golden Eagles were picked No. 4 by coaches around the league. Azusa Pacific is the preseason favorite followed by perennial postseason contender Point Loma and Dominican who were selected second and third respectively.
Concordia is led by double threat
Teagan Thurman, who was an All-PacWest Third Team selection a year ago. Thurman averaged 13.5 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per contest in her first full season with the Green and Gold. She collected six double-doubles last season and also scored in double figures on 17 different occasions.
Joining Thurman in the frontcourt are forwards
Savannah Felix-Amoroso and
Erika Maggard who will look to control the paint and win the rebounding battle.
Three-point specialists
Stephanie Lee and
Camryn Kiernan return and will take aim at knocking down more treys to keep defenses honest. Guard
Kendall Jackson also started 23 contests last year and helps set the tone defensively at the point of attack.
An exciting incoming class includes five freshmen ready to contribute in many ways. Former opponents
Ava Dominguez from Rosary Academy and
Hannah Vela from Mater Dei High School now join forces and reunite with former teammates. Dominguez joins
Caylee Santos and Felix-Amoroso as graduates from Rosary who are now at Concordia. Vela is the latest Golden Eagle to join the squad through the pipeline from Mater Dei. CUI is also excited to have guard
Izzy Navarro, who enrolled at LMU last season and is a Menifee, Calif. native from Cathedral Catholic High School.
Out-of-state additions include guard
Shushan Krikorian who hails from Virginia and forward
Silvia Garcia who is from the Las Vegas, Nevada area.
The Golden Eagles open the season in nearby La Mirada when Biola hosts multiple non-conference games for both the CUI men and women. The regular season opener is against Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. before a Saturday date the next day with GNAC member Alaska Fairbanks.
CUI's home opener is reserved for Thanksgiving weekend against Simon Fraser University on Friday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. followed by a Saturday date with Northwest Nazarene. Point Loma will also be in town to play two non-conference games in Irvine in the four-game tournament.
The Golden Eagles begin their campaign with their first four games away from home.
CLICK HERE for the full CUI women's basketball schedule
CLICK HERE for the full Women's Basketball PacWest Preseason Poll
