STANDISH, Maine – The D3hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national polls have been released and Saint Joseph's College is ranked 11th by both organizations.
The Monks received 386 points in the D3hoops.com rankings and 113 points in the WBCA poll.
Saint Joseph's, 17-0 overall and 5-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play as of January 23rd, remains as one of just five NCAA DIII programs to have not yet suffered a loss after posting conference victories over Colby-Sawyer (75-52) and Anna Maria (75-62) last week. The Monks' 17-0 start is the best opening to a season in program history, topping the 13-0 start posted by the 1998-99 team.
Through January 23rd, the Monks are averaging 75.8 points while allowing 55.7 points per game and shooting 44.0% from the field, 35.86% from three-point distance, and 69.6% from the free-throw line.
As of January 22nd, Saint Joseph's ranks third in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball in assist/turnover ratio (1.39) and ninth in fewest turnovers per game (12.6). The Monks are also 10th in fewest turnovers (215), 12th in three-pointers made (154) and three-pointers made per game (9.1) and 16th in assists average (17.6) and scoring margin (20.1).
In the seventh D3hoops.com poll of the season, Bowdoin (17-0) remains in the top slot for the sixth-consecutive week, by virtue of first-place votes, as the Polar Bears received 13 top votes and 612 total points while #2 Thomas More earned 12 first-place nods and 612 points overall. Scranton (3rd, 550), Amherst (4th, 527), and St. Thomas (5th, 523) round out the top five while Tufts (6th, 502) is the only other New England team to be listed in the top 25 this week. Middlebury (20 pts) and Babson (15) also received votes in the January 20th 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 eighth 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 (181), Scranton (174), and St. Thomas (168) in the top five. Tufts is ranked sixth with 164 points. Middlebury also received two votes 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 Simmons University tonight at 7:00 PM.