CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- After an unexpected exit in the semifinal of the 2016 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament, Bucknell will look to pick up where it left off and make a run for its third Patriot League Championship title and first since 2008 as the Bison were selected as the favorite in the preseason poll.
Voting was conducted by the coaches and sports information directors who were not allowed to rank their own teams or vote for their own players.
Bucknell received 16 first-place votes and totaled 156 points to top the poll, while Lehigh edged out last year’s Patriot League Tournament Champion Army West Point (119 points) with 120 points and one first-place vote to finish second. Holy Cross (111 points), American (109 points) and Navy (103 points) each received a first-place vote and were followed by Loyola Maryland (69 points), Lafayette (50 points), Colgate (34 points), and Boston University (29 points).
Bucknell senior forward Claire DeBoer, a two-time All-League selection, was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches and SIDs. DeBoer was joined on the Preseason All-Patriot League team by American senior forward Lauren Crisler, Holy Cross junior guard Infiniti Thomas-Waheed, Lehigh junior guard Quinci Mann, and Loyola Maryland junior guard Bri Betz-White.
Women's Basketball Preseason All-League (listed alphabetically by team)
Lauren Crisler, American
Claire DeBoer, Bucknell
Infiniti Thomas-Waheed, Holy Cross
Quinci Mann, Lehigh
Bri Betz-White, Loyola Maryland
Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Claire DeBoer, Bucknell
Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Bucknell, 156 points (16 first-place votes)
Lehigh, 120 points (1)
Army West Point, 119 points
Holy Cross, 111 points (1)
American, 109 points (1)
Navy, 103 points (1)
Loyola Maryland, 69 points
Lafayette, 50 points
Colgate, 34 points
Boston University, 29 points
Bucknell (25-8, 17-1 PL) received 16 out of a possible 18 first-place votes to top the preseason poll with 156 points. Fifth-year head coach Aaron Roussell, last year’s Patriot League Coach of the Year, led his team to a record-setting year, including the program’s first 25-win season and first WNIT victory: a 74-70 win at Akron. The Bison return DeBoer, who was selected to the All-League first team last year and was second on the team in scoring with 518 points (15.7 ppg) and third in the League. Bucknell also returns a pair of sophomores who were named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team in guard Kyi English and forward Kaitlyn Slagus – last season’s Rookie of the Year.
Lehigh (18-13, 10-8 PL) fell in the Patriot League semifinal game as the fourth seed to eventual champion Army West Point, 76-46. The Mountain Hawks, who received one first-place vote and totaled 120 points, will look to make another run at the championship title but will have to do it without four-time All-League selection Kerry Kinek and first team All-League choice Lexi Martins, who was one of the nation’s top rebounders. However, Lehigh returns All-League second team junior guard Quinci Mann, who led the team with 58 made three-point field goals and was second in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game.
Army West Point (29-3, 17-1 PL) will have to fill the void left by the graduation of the winning-class in program history, including the League’s all-time leading scorer and three-time Patriot League Player of the Year Kelsey Minato. The Black Knights posted a program best 29-3 overall record and will look to continue their winning tradition with a young squad in 2016-17. Army returns two seniors and a core group of juniors, including Patriot League All-Defensive selection Janae McNeal who averaged 8.1 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game while collecting the team’s second-most steals at 48.
Holy Cross (13-17, 10-8 PL) fell to Lehigh in the quarterfinal round but will look to be a contender for the Patriot League Championship title under 32nd-year head coach Bill Gibbons. While the Crusaders lose three key contributors due to graduation, they return second team and All-Defensive selection in junior guard Infiniti Thomas-Waheed, who averaged 11.8 points per game and accumulated 76 steals. They also return junior guards Katie Doherty (8.6 ppg) and Tricia Byrne (7.7 ppg).
American (8-23, 5-13 PL) gave Bucknell everything they had in the quarterfinals but fell short, 73-65. The Eagles lose guard Ari Booth (8.2 ppg) but return third team All-League senior forward Lauren Crisler (9.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg) as well as unanimous All-Rookie sophomore forward Cecily Carl (8.0 ppg, 39 blks) in hopes of getting back to the Patriot League Championship title game after a year hiatus.
Navy (15-15, 9-9 PL) exited the Patriot League tournament in the quarterfinals on a buzzer beater shot by Loyola Maryland, 44-42, and lose just one senior. The Midshipmen return their top three scorers from last season – senior guard Sarita Condie (10.7 ppg), junior guard Taylor Dunham (9.5 ppg), and senior forward Ashanti Kennedy (8.0 ppg) – as well as last year’s Defensive Player of the Year of the year and unanimous All-Defensive selection in Justice Swett, who led the team with 68 steals and averaged a team-best 5.3 rpg.
Loyola Maryland (16-16, 11-7 PL) earned a 44-42 quarterfinal victory over Navy on a buzzer beater shot and then stunned second seed Bucknell with a 65-53 semifinal win to reach the Patriot League Championship for the first time since joining the League. The Greyhounds recorded a school-record 11 Patriot League wins and will look to do it again but will be without All-League first team member Colleen Marshall (14.9 ppg). While Loyola loses four players from last year, including Marshall and third team All-League Jeneh Perry, the team returns their second leading scorer in junior guard Bri Betz White (10.4 ppg).
Lafayette (6-23, 4-14 PL) second-year head coach Theresa Grentz will look to continue building her program, after the loss of their leading scorer and League leader in steals (78), second-team All-League Jamie O’Hare (14.6 ppg). The Leopards return their leading rebounder in senior forward Ashley Lutz, as well as senior guard Maia Hood (9.6 ppg), junior guard Sammy Stipa (8.2 ppg), and unanimous All-Rookie sophomore center Angela Ribarich (5.9 ppg).
Colgate (7-23, 4-14 PL) begins the season with a new coach at the helm, as Bill Cleary was named the 10th head coach in Colgate women’s basketball history. Cleary, who compiled a 164-69 record in his eight-years at Bloomsburg, will look to build upon a program that loses All-Defensive and second-team All-League selection Josie Stockill but returns senior guard Katie Curtis who averaged 9.4 points per game and accumulated 41 steals.
Boston University (3-27, 3-15 PL) third-year head coach Katy Steding looks to build upon her team that returns all but two players from last year’s roster. Four of the top five-scorers return, including senior Meghan Green who averaged 9.6 points per game as well as 4.7 rebounds per game. Boston U. also returns senior guard Sarah Hope, who finished third in the League last year with 64 made three-point field goals.
The women's basketball season begins on Friday, Nov. 11, when nine of the 10 Patriot League teams will be in action. After six weeks of non-League contests, all 10 teams will begin the Patriot League slate on Friday, Dec. 30. The Patriot League Championship begins with the First Round on March 4, with the 10th seed playing at the seventh seed and ninth seed at the eighth seed. The top four seeds with host quarterfinal contests on March 6 while the highest remaining seed will host the semifinal and championship games on March 10 and 12.