CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Bucknell Bison women’s basketball team was selected as the 2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Basketball preseason favorite, earning 154 points and 14 first-place votes. In addition, Holy Cross Crusader junior forward Lauren Manis was named the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, when honors were announced on Thursday afternoon.
Bucknell placed two student-athletes on the preseason All-League Team, including senior forward Kaitlyn Slagus and senior guard Kate Walker, both 2017-18 all-League selections. American’s Cecily Carl, the 2017-18 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player, was the lone Eagle on the all-league team.
Manis, this season’s preseason player of the year, also earned a spot on the all-league team, while Loyola Maryland junior guard Stephanie Karcz rounded out the five student-athletes on the preseason team.
2018-19 Patriot League Women’s Preseason Player of the Year
Lauren Manis, Holy Cross, Jr., F, Franklin, Mass./ Bishop Feehan
*Manis comes into the 2018-19 season averaging 17.5 points (1st in the League in ’17-18) and 8.8 boards per game.
*The junior appeared in 31 games last season for a .828 free-throw percentage (2nd in the League) and a .420 field-goal percentage.
*Manis also recorded 61 assists, 58 steals and 34 blocks.
Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Cecily Carl, American, Sr., F, Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg
*2017-18 Stats: 31 GP, 30 GS, 13.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 87.7 FT%
*2017-18 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player, All-Tournament Team, Second-Team All-Patriot League
Kaitlyn Slagus, Bucknell, Sr., F, Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon
*2017-18 Stats: 32 GP, 32 GS, 12.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 74.8 FT%
*2017-18 Second-Team All-Patriot League
Kate Walker, Bucknell, Sr., G, Red Oak, Iowa/Red Oak Community
*2017-18 Stats: 32 GP, 32 GS, 12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, 82.5 FT%
*2017-18 First-Team All-Patriot League
Lauren Manis, Holy Cross, Jr., F, Franklin, Mass./Bishop Feehan
*2017-18 Stats: 31 GP, 30 GS, 17.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1.1 bpg, 82.8 FT%
*2017-18 First Team All-Patriot League
Stephanie Karcz, Loyola Maryland, Jr., G, Middletown, N.J./Middletown South
*2017-18 Stats: 30 GP, 30 GS, 14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.7 spg, 47.3 FT%
*2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive Team, Academic All-Patriot League Team
Bucknell Tops the 2018-19 Patriot League Preseason Poll
The Bucknell Bison were picked to finish atop the League in the 2018-19 preseason poll, accumulating 154 points, including 14 first-place votes. The 2017-18 Patriot League champions placed second with 137 points and two first-place votes, followed by Loyola Maryland who earned 129 points with four first-place votes.
Lehigh and Navy both received 91 points each for fourth-place, followed by Holy Cross (81), Army West Point (75) and Lafayette (63). The Boston University Terriers finished in ninth-place with 56 points, while Colgate rounded out the poll with 23 points.
Voting for the Patriot League women’s basketball preseason poll, player of the year and All-League team was conducted by League head coaches and sports information directors. Neither group was permitted to vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
Bucknell – 154 (14 first-place votes)
American – 137 (2 first-place votes)
Loyola Maryland – 129 (4 first-place votes)
Lehigh – 91
Navy – 91
Holy Cross – 81
Army West Point – 75
Lafayette – 63
Boston University – 56
Colgate – 23
*Student-athletes are listed alphabetically by institution.
Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Cecily Carl, American, Sr., F
Kaitlyn Slagus, Bucknell, Sr., F
Kate Walker, Bucknell, Sr., G
Lauren Manis, Holy Cross, Jr., F
Stephanie Karcz, Loyola Maryland, Jr., G
A Peak into the League teams
Note: Teams are listed in alphabetical order
American Eagles
2017-18 Record: 26-7 overall, 16-2 Patriot League
Head Coach: Megan Gebbia
Notables: The 2017-18 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year, Megan Gebbia, returns for her sixth season at the helm. Seniors Cecily Carl and Elina Koskimies both return as key starters for the Eagles. Carl, Patriot League Tournament MVP, scored 13.2 points per game last season to go with 8.4 rebounds, and a .877 free throw percentage. Koskimies started in 31 contests last season and averaged 7.7 points per game.
Army West Point Black Knights
2017-18 Record: 17-14 overall, 9-9 overall
Head Coach: Dave Magarity
Notables: Magarity enters his 13th season after he led the Black Knights to a program-best sixth consecutive winning season in 2017-18. Magarity also guided his program to a quarterfinal victory in the Patriot League Tournament. Senior forward Madison Hovren appeared in 31 games while making 30 starts last season. Hovren notched a team-best seven 20-point performances while she reached double-figure scoring in 24-of-31 outings. Libby Tacka is also back after appearing in 28 games and averaging 6.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game last season.
Boston University Terriers
2017-18 Record: 10-19 overall, 5-13 Patriot League
Head Coach: Marisa Moseley
Notables: Marisa Moseley, a 2004 Boston University graduate, enters her first year as the Terriers’ head coach after spending nine seasons at UConn. Moseley welcomes back Nia Irving, a two-time player of the week honoree in 2017-18. Last season, Irving led the Terriers with 13.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while leading the League with a .505 field-goal percentage. All-Rookie team honoree Katie Nelson is also back for the Terriers as the sophomore played in 29 games last season, contributing 9.4 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game.
Bucknell Bison
2017-18 Record: 22-10 overall, 15-3 Patriot League
Head Coach: Aaron Roussell
Notables: Both Kate Walker and Kaitlyn Slagus are back with the Bison after being named to this season’s all-Patriot League team. Walker appeared and started in 32 games last season, as she scored 12.8 points and grabbed 4.3 rebounds per game last season, to earn First-Team All-Patriot League accolades. Slagus averaged 12.7 points per game and nine rebounds per game last season, to earn Second-Team All-Patriot League recognition.
Colgate Raiders
2017-18 Record: 7-23 overall, 3-15 Patriot League
Head Coach: Bill Cleary
Notables: Cleary enters his third year with the Raiders and will return his leading scorer and rebounder from a year ago in forward Summer King (9.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg in ’17-18). Junior guard Rachel Thompson also returns after scoring 8.9 points per game, and grabbing 5.3 boards per game, while shooting .471 from the field in 12 games played.
Holy Cross Crusaders
2017-18 Record: 13-18 overall, 7-11 Patriot League
Head Coach: Bill Gibbons
Notables: The Crusaders’ Gibbons comes into his 35th season at the helm of the Holy Cross women’s basketball program and brings back junior forward Lauren Manis, the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year. Manis, a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2017-18, averaged 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game to follow up on her 2016-17 rookie of the year campaign.
Lafayette Leopards
2017-18 Record: 11-19 overall, 6-12 Patriot League
Head Coach: Kia Damon-Olson
Notables: Damon-Olson heads into her second year with the Leopards. She welcomes back sophomore forward Natalie Kucowski, one of two Patriot League women’s basketball players to average a double-double last season. Kucowski led the Leopards in scoring (10.9 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg) to earn Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors three times in her freshman season.
Lehigh Mountain Hawks
2017-18 Record: 15-15 overall, 9-9 Patriot League
Head Coach: Sue Troyan
Notables: Troyan enters her 24th season running the Lehigh women’s basketball program. Junior guard Camryn Buhr is the Mountain Hawks returning leading scorer (12.5 ppg) after earning Third-Team All-Patriot League honors last season. Buhr posted team bests in field goal percentage (.433), rebounding (6.8 per game) and blocks (0.8 per game) last season. Junior forward Gena Grundhoffer returns after leading the League in free throw percentage at 84.7 percent, and averaging 11.2 points per game, while topping the 20-point mark on five occasions, including the final four games of the season.
Loyola Maryland Greyhounds
2017-18 Record: 9-21 overall, 7-11 Patriot League
Head Coach: Joe Logan
Notables: Logan heads into his 14th season at the helm of the Loyola Maryland women’s basketball team. He will have plenty of talent returning with all-League junior guard Stephanie Karcz, who was one of two League players to average a double-double last season with 14.2 points 10.6 boards per game. She also finished fourth in NCAA DI with 3.73 steals per game. Sophomore forward Isabella Therien, the 2017-18 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, led the team in scoring last season (15.2 ppg), while senior guard Bri Betz-White, who missed all but five games last season, will look to return to her first-team all-League form from 2016-17 when she averaged 15.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
Navy Midshipmen
2017-18 Record: 25-8 overall, 13-5 Patriot League
Head Coach: Stephanie Pemper
Notables: The Navy women’s basketball team enters the 2018-19 season after back-to-back trips to the Patriot League Championship Game and the WNIT. Senior guard Bianca Roach is back for the Mids after starting in all 33 games last season, averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Junior forward Laurel Jaunich (5.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), junior guard Morgan Taylor (6.9 ppg in ’17-18) and sophomore guard Sophie Gatzounas (6.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) are all back after gaining valuable minutes in Pemper’s rotation last season.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.