STANDISH, Maine – The D3hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national polls have been announced and Saint Joseph's College is ranked 11th and 12th, respectively, in the nation.
The Monks received 394 points in the D3hoops.com rankings and 104 points in the WBCA poll.
Saint Joseph's, 16-0 overall and 4-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play as of January 16th, remains as one of just five NCAA DIII programs to have not yet suffered a loss after kicking off the New Year with victories over Regis (77-65), Albertus Magnus (77-63), University of Saint Joseph (71-39), and Colby-Sawyer (75-52). The Monks' 16-0 start is the best opening to a season in program history, topping the 13-0 start posted by the 1998-99 team.
Through January 16th, the Monks are averaging 75.8 points while allowing 55.3 points per game and shooting 44.1% from the field, 35.8% from three-point distance, and 69.2% from the free-throw line.
As of January 15th, Saint Joseph's ranks third in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball in assist/turnover ratio (1.42) and sixth in fewest turnovers per game (12.4). The Monks are also 10th in assists (282), 11th in three-pointers made (142), 13th in three-pointers per game (8.9), 16th in scoring margin (20.5), and 19th in total points (1,213).
In the sixth D3hoops.com poll of the season, Bowdoin (15-0) remains in the top slot for the sixth-consecutive week with 13 first-place votes and 612 total points, barely ahead of Thomas More, which received 12 first-place nods and 612 points. Scranton (3rd, 554), St. Thomas (4th, 521), and Amherst (5th, 520) round out the top five while Tufts (6th, 503) is the only other New England team to be listed in the top 25 this week. Middlebury (14 pts) and Babson (11) also received votes in the January 13th national poll.
The D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.
In the seventh WBCA poll of the season, Bowdoin is ranked first with four first-place votes and 196 points overall and is followed by Thomas More (194), Amherst (182), Scranton (174), and St. Thomas (168) in the top five. Tufts is ranked sixth with 163 points. Middlebury also received one vote this week.
The WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches Poll Committee is made up of nine head coaches at Division III institutions. All are members of the WBCA. The 2018-19 committee members are Brian Morehouse, non-voting chair (Hope), Renee DeVarney (Swarthmore), Kristen Dowling (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps), Alex Lang (Brooklyn), Jennifer Reimer (Case Western Reserve), Alex Richey (Oglethorpe), Mia Smith (Illinois Wesleyan), Daphne Thompson (SUNY Oneonta) and Kelly Thompson (Roger Williams).
Saint Joseph's will play at Anna Maria College at 2:00 PM on Saturday.
