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/ Basketball (W)
Beverly Kelley, Ramirez Named All-Sun Belt Preseason
10/20/2015 11:57:00 AM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Alabama – Troy women's basketball senior Ashley Beverly Kelley was a first team selection and junior Caitlyn Ramirez was a third team selection on the All-Sun Belt Preseason Team, the league office announced on Tuesday.
"Its an honor that out of 11 teams we had two players chosen All-Sun Belt Preseason," Troy head coach Chanda Rigby said. "I believe that both of these players will not only meet, but exceed everyone's preseason expectations."
Beverly Kelley, who was already named a Preseason Mid-Major All-American, was the second leading scorer in the Sun Belt last season at 17.6 points per game. In conference games, she averaged 19.8 points per game to lead the league.
The Adamsville, Ala., native was a first team All-Sun Belt selection following last season and a second team selection following her sophomore season, making her the first Trojan with two all-conference selections by her junior season since 1998-99.
The guard scored in double figures in 27 of Troy's 31 games, including a career-high 46 points in Troy's win at Georgia Southern, which tied for the most points scored by a Division I player nationwide last season.
In addition to leading the Trojans in scoring, Beverly Kelley also posted a team-high 86 assists and ranked second on the team with a career-high 71 steals. Beverly Kelley finished the season ranked in the Sun Belt's top 10 in scoring, assists, steals, 3-point percentage and free throw percentage.
Ramirez, a native of Shawnee, Okla., averaged 6.5 points in 3.8 rebounds per game last season, but started Troy's final 12 games last season and averaged 7.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over that span.
The 6-foot-2 forward scored in double figures nine times, including a season-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting in Troy's win over Samford, a performance that earned her Sun Belt Player of the Week honors.
In addition to the two All-Sun Belt Preseason awards, the Trojans were picked to finish fifth in the Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Troy is coming off of a 20-11 season in 2014-15, including a 15-5 mark in Sun Belt play and a third place finish in the league standings. The Trojans played in the WBI, making the program's first postseason appearance in nearly two decades.
"We were definitely picked to finish in a lower spot in the preseason poll than we expect to finish," Rigby said. "We will work everyday and fight to finish higher than that prediction."
Troy opens its fourth season under Rigby with an exhibition game on November 5 when Stillman visits Trojan Arena at 5:15 p.m. The Troy men will also play an exhibition game that night at 7:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader.
The Troy women open their regular season at home on November 13 when West Alabama visits for a 12 p.m. contest.
For more information on Troy women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram at @TroyTrojansWBB.
For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat by searching for Troy Athletics.
All-Sun Belt Preseason First Team
Aundrea Gamble (Arkansas State, Senior, G)
Alexius Dawn (Little Rock, Senior, G)
Keke Veal (UL Lafayette, Senior, G)
Rebekah VanDijk (UT Arlington, Sophomore, C)
Ashley Beverly Kelley (Troy, Senior, G)
All-Sun Belt Preseason Second Team
Khadija Brown-Haywood (Arkansas State, Senior, F)
Makeba Ponder (Georgia State, Soph., G)
Shanity James (Little Rock, Senior, F)
Kia Wilridge (UL Lafayette, Senior, G)
Ayriel Anderson (Texas State, Senior, G)
All-Sun Belt Preseason Third Team
Joi Jones (Appalachian State, Junior, G)
Chyna Ellis (South Alabama, Sophomore, C)
LaShanda Green (UT Arlington, Senior, G)
Cierra Johnson (UT Arlington, Sophomore, G)
Caitlyn Ramirez (Troy, Junior, F)
Preseason Student-Athlete of the Year
Aundrea Gamble (Arkansas State, RS-Senior, Guard)
Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses)
1. Arkansas State (6) - 113 pts
2. UT Arlington (1) - 97 pts
3. Little Rock (2) - 96 pts
4. UL Lafayette (1) - 95 pts
5. Troy (1) - 86 pts
6. Texas State - 66 pts
7. Georgia State - 57 pts
8. Appalachian State - 40 pts
9. UL Monroe - 38 pts
10. South Alabama - 26 pts
11. Georgia Southern - 12 pts
2025-26 Women's Basketball Season Recap
Monday, April 06
Underdogs Untold: WBIT
Saturday, March 21
Chanda Rigby Postgame Press Conference (WBIT) - No. 2 Kansas
Thursday, March 19
No. 2 Troy vs. No. 4 James Madison - SBC Championship (Full Highlights)
Monday, March 09