STANDISH, Maine - The 2015-16 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll has been announced and Saint Joseph's College has been projected to finish third this winter.
The Monks, who begin the new season tomorrow with the first of two games in the Skimmer Tip-Off Tournament at Skidmore College, received 113 points in the annual poll, which is voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
Under the watch of 23nd-year Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83 last season, Saint Joseph's posted a 16-10 overall record with a 6-5 mark in GNAC play en route to earning the #6 seed in the GNAC Tournament. The team's season, and bid to repeat as conference champions, came to an end with a 70-62 tournament quarterfinal loss at the hands of #3 Johnson & Wales University, the eventual GNAC champs, on February 26th.
Emmanuel College received eight first-place votes and 140 points overall to finish first in the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Johnson & Wales University, which captured its first-ever GNAC women's hoop title last season over Emmanuel, 74-66, finished second to the Saints with 135 points and four first-place nods by the coaches. For the Wildcats, their 19 wins last season set a single-season program record.
Emmanuel, which won seven straight GNAC Championships from 2007-13, will look to add to its unbeaten streak in GNAC regular-season play, as the Saints have won an astounding 63 straight league games dating back to the 2009-10 season.
Emmanuel senior Sarah Higgins (pictured) is back after averaging 14.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals in just 26.9 minutes per game a year ago.
For Johnson & Wales, junior Bobbie Whitehead and sophomore Raquel Pederzani will look to lead the way for the Wildcats. Whitehead averaged a double-double as a sophomore with 11.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, while Pederzani averaged 13.2 points and 3.4 assists as a rookie.
Saint Joseph's College of Maine finished third in the preseason poll with 113 points, while Suffolk University took the fourth spot with 104 points and Norwich rounded out the top-five list with 95 points.
Making up the rest of the coaches' poll was Rivier University with 75 points, Albertus Magnus College with 74 points, Lasell College with 53 points, Anna Maria College with 49 points, the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) with 45 points, Mount Ida College with 29 points and Simmons College with 24 points.
The regular season kicks off this weekend, with the league schedule gets underway on Tuesday, December 8, with the eight-team GNAC Tournament slated to begin with quarterfinal action on Tuesday, February 23.
Founded in 1995, the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 12 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Each year, the GNAC sponsors and administers 17 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunities and community involvement.
2015-16 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. Emmanuel (8) - 140
2. Johnson & Wales (4) - 135
3. Saint Joseph's Maine - 113
4. Suffolk - 104
5. Norwich - 95
6. Rivier - 75
7. Albertus Magnus - 74
8. Lasell - 53
9. Anna Maria - 49
10. Saint Joseph Conn. - 45
11. Mount Ida - 29
12. Simmons - 24
THANKS IN LARGE PART TO GNAC SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
