Rolla, Mo. – Missouri S&T's women's basketball team was picked to finish fifth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference's West Division in the upcoming season as the league's coaches poll was announced on Wednesday.

The Lady Miners, playing in the West Division in the 2017-18 three-division format being employed by the GLVC this year with 15 competing schools in the league, were picked behnd division favorite Drury, Truman State, Rockhurst and William Jewell.

Missouri S&T went 10-16 last season and returns six letters to this year's squad -- five of whom saw significant playing time a year ago. That group includes its leading scorer from last year in Janie Arand (Washington, Mo./St. Francis Borgia), as well as Maddie Raley (Haubstadt, Ind./Gibson Southern) - who finished the season as one of the top three-point shooters in the conference. Also returning are seniors Joe'l Bland (St. Charles, Mo./Homeschooled) and Kim Runge (Freedom, Wis./Freedom), junior Bria Pierce (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North) and sophomore Jordan Kabetske (Republic, Mo./Republic).

Last season, the Lady Miners went 1-4 in head-to-head matchups against the other teams that make up the GLVC West this winter; S&T will play those four teams twice during this year's 18-game league schedule.

Southern Indiana was picked to win the GLVC East while Maryville was selected as the pre-season favorite in the GLVC Central Division.

The Lady Miners open their season on Friday, Nov. 10 against LeMoyne-Owen College in the Lady Miner Classic at 7:30 p.m.