Emily Culbertson

By Tim Glon

ADA — The Ohio Northern women’s basketball team was picked eighth and the men’s basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2008-09 Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches preseason poll on Tuesday.

In the women’s poll, Baldwin-Wallace received five first place votes and 77 total points, Capital was second with 73 total points and four first place votes and John Carroll was third with 61 points and one first place vote.

ONU totaled 32 points to finish eighth.

Alisha Rinehart

By Tim Glon

ADA - The Ohio Northern women's basketball team will open its 2008-09 season Nov. 21-22 at the Trine (Ind.) Tip-Off Tournament in Angola, Ind.

The Polar Bears, under eighth-year head coach Michele Durand, will also play at the Land of Magic Classic at Daytona Beach, Fla. Dec. 28-29.

Northern will open its home schedule Nov. 25 against Wittenberg in a non-conference contest at 7:30 pm at the ONU Sports Center.

Michele Durand

ADA - Ohio Northern women's basketball coach Michele Durand has been named the Russell Athletic/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III Region Six Coach of the Year as voted upon by the head coaches in the region.

Durand guided the Polar Bears to a 19-7 overall record this season, the most wins since the 1987-88 season. Northern also finished second in the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 14-4 mark, the best finish since 1987-88.