FRISCO, Texas – With the season on the horizon, Lamar University senior guard
Jadyn Pimentel and junior guard
Angel Hastings have been named to the Southland Conference Coaches' Preseason All-SLC Second Team.
A 5-foot-6 product of Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas, Hastings returns as the leading scorer for the Cards in 2020-21 as she produced 12.4 points per game and assisted 41 times throughout the previous year, while bringing down in 2.3 rebounds per game during the previous season. She ranked No. 14 in the Southland in scoring, No. 10 in free throw percentage and No. 10 in three-point field goal percentage a year ago.
A 5-foot-3 guard from St. Louis, Mo., Pimentel was named to the 2019-20 Southland All-Defensive Team after posting a 3.3 steals per game average and stayed in the NCAA Top Ten in steals, where she finished with 93. Pimentel finished third on the team in scoring in 2019-20 where she averaged 8.4 points per game. She ranked No. 1 in the Southland in steals, No. 5 in assists and No. 8 in assist/turnover ratio for 2019-20.
The Preseason All-SLC First Team is comprised of Aiyana Johnson and Stephanie Visscher of Stephen F. Austin, Amber Leggett and Faith Cook of Sam Houston State and Anna MacLeod of Abilene Christian.
Hastings and Pimentel are joined on the second team by Makayla Mabry of Abilene Christian, Morgan Carrier of Southeastern Louisiana and Zya Nugent of Stephen F. Austin.
Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team or players.
Lamar was predicted to finish in eighth in the Southland Conference in a vote of the league's coaches and sports information directors. Stephen F. Austin received 14 first-place votes and were picked to win the 2020-21 Southland Conference Championship followed by Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Southeastern Louisiana in the top five.
The Cardinals were 10-19 overall and 6-14 in SLC play a year ago, finishing in tenth place in the league standings. LU enters the 2020-21 season under the direction of second-year head coach
Aqua Franklin and returning two starters and seven returning total letterwinners who saw action last year.
Order of Finish
1. Stephen F. Austin
2. Sam Houston State
3. Abilene Christian
4. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
5. Southeastern Louisiana
6. Central Arkansas
7. New Orleans
8. Lamar
9. Nicholls
10. Incarnate Word
11. Houston Baptist
12. McNeese
13. Northwestern State
First Team All-Southland
Anna MacLeod, Abilene Christian
Faith Cook, Sam Houston State
Amber Leggett, Sam Houston State
Aiyana Johnson, Stephen F. Austin
Stephanie Visscher, Stephen F. Austin
Second Team All-Southland
Makayla Mabry, Abilene Christian
Angel Hastings, Lamar
Jadyn Pimentel, Lamar
Morgan Carrier, Southeastern Louisiana
Zya Nugent, Stephen F. Austin
