Lady Jags picked to finish 3rd

Southern’s basketball program received great news days before its season-opening exhibition game against Dillard Monday at 6 p.m. in the F.G. Clark Activity center.
Redshirt sophomore Freda Allen and senior Diedra Jackson were named to the 2008-2009 Preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team. Allen was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year and received first-team honors while Jackson was named to the second-team.
Allen, a 6-foot-1 sophomore forward from Lake Providence, La., averaged 6.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest last season. She finished with 28 blocks, 59 steals while tallying 245 total rebounds. She had four double-doubles last season and had 14 games with at least 10 rebounds and five games with at least 10 points.
She had 13 points, 16 rebounds and a block versus Norfolk State while tallying 10 points, 17 rebounds, two steals and a block against the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. She led the conference in rebounding while finishing seventh in blocked shots and fourth in steals.
Jackson led the Jags in points last season with 12.3. In ten games last season she was the top scorer and hit a career high 34 versus Alabama State University on February 25, 2008. The Amite, La., native finished fourth on the team in rebounds averaging 3.3.
The Jaguars were chosen to finish third in the conference between Prairie View and Jackson State. SU received one first place vote. Last year the SU was chosen to finish sixth.
Pollsters tabbed defending SWAC champion Prairie View as the favorite, awarding the Lady Panthers 18 of 20 possible first-place votes 196 points. Jackson State and SU split the other first-place votes and were picked second and third, respectively.
Jackson State picked up 174 points while Southern garnered 143 points. Alabama A&M rounds out the top four.