STANDISH, Maine – The D3hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national polls have been released and Saint Joseph's College has moved up two slots to eighth in the former and remains 11th for the third-consecutive week in the latter.
The Monks received 428 points in the February 3rd D3hoops.com poll and 127 points in this week's WBCA rankings.
Saint Joseph's, 21-0 overall and 9-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play as of February 4th, remains as one of just three NCAA DIII programs to have not yet suffered a loss after posting conference victories over Rivier (105-68) and Johnson & Wales (85-59) last week. The Monks' 21-0 start is the best opening to a season in program history, topping the 13-0 start posted by the 1998-99 team.
Through February 4th, the Monks are averaging 77.5 points while allowing 56.3 points per game and shooting 44.8% from the field, 35.9% from three-point distance, and 70.4% from the free-throw line.
As of February 3rd, Saint Joseph's ranks second in NCAA DIII Women's Basketball in assist/turnover ratio (1.39) and 10th in fewest turnovers per game (12.7) and scoring margin (21.2). The Monks are also 11th in fewest turnovers (267), three-pointers made per game (9.1), and three-pointers made (191), and 13th in assists per game (17.7) and scoring offense (77.5)
In the ninth D3hoops.com poll of the season, Bowdoin (22-0) remains in the top slot for the eighth-consecutive week with 16 first-place votes and 616 points overall while #2 Thomas More (24-0) earned nine first-place nods and 608 points. St. Thomas is third (543), Amherst fourth (539) and Trine moves up to fifth with 498 points. Among New England Region programs, Tufts is ranked sixth while Babson and Trinity both received votes this week.
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 10th WBCA poll of the season, Bowdoin is ranked first with six first-place votes and 198 points overall and is followed by Thomas More (194), St. Thomas (181), Amherst (175) and Tufts (166) in the top five.
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 host Emmanuel College tonight at 6:00 PM.
