Atlantic 10 head coaches selected Saint Louis sophomores Ciaja Harbison to the preseason All-Conference first team and Brooke Flowers to the preseason All-Conference third team and All-Defensive team, the league announced Thursday.
Harbison led the A-10 in assists (4.5 apg) and ranked fourth in scoring (14.6 ppg), minutes (36.4 mpg) and in free throw percentage (.842) and sixth in steals (1.7 spg) last season. She scored in double figures in 25 of SLU’s 31 games, including seven games with 20 or more points, and added 3.8 rebounds per game.
Harbison was named A-10 Rookie of the Week 11 times, the second-highest total in conference history. She owns the Billikens’ single-season record for points by a freshman (453), and on SLU’s single-season lists for all players, last season she tied for fifth in steals (53), sixth in free throw percentage (.842), seventh in assists (139) and eighth in free throws made (117).
Flowers was third in the A-10 with 8.5 rebounds per game, and her 8.0 scoring average ranked third on the team. She was tied league lead in blocks (2.1 bpg), fifth in offensive rebounding (2.8 orpg) and 10th in field goal percentage (.427).
Flowers’ 68 blocks were a SLU freshman record, third on the Billikens’ overall single-season list and 10th on the Saint Louis career chart. Her 264 rebounds ranked second all-time among SLU freshmen and were fifth on the Bills’ overall single-season list.
Harbison and Flowers were both named to the A-10 All-Rookie team last year, marking the first time in SLU history that two Billikens made the list.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Jayla Scaife, Dayton
Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham
Nicole Cardano-Hillary, George Mason
Tera Reed, VCU
Ciaja Harbison, Saint Louis
Sarah Donovan, Davidson
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Hailey Leidel, Massachusetts
Katie Turner, Davidson
Taya Robinson, VCU
Danielle Hammond, VCU
Jacy Bolton, George Mason
Neila Luma, George Washington
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Nicole Jorgensen, Rhode Island
Jaide Hinds-Clark, Richmond
Destinee Philoxy, Massachusetts
Deja Francis, St. Bonaventure
Sydney Zambrotta, George Washington
PRESEASON ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Taya Robinson, VCU
Jacy Bolton, George Mason
Jayla Scaife, Dayton
Danielle Hammond, VCU
