Oct. 29, 2008
Center Valley, Pa.--Holy Cross was selected first in the 2008-09 Patriot League Women's Basketball Preseason Poll with 90 points and eight first-place votes, announced on Wednesday. Lehigh earned six first-place votes and accumulated 83 total points to take second in the poll, while American received the two remaining first-place votes and with 75 points was picked third in the poll. Rounding out this year's selections were, in order, Army (60 points), Bucknell (53), Lafayette (38), Navy (35) and Colgate (14). All eight women's basketball head coaches and eight sports information directors vote in the poll and can not vote for their own team or players.
In other preseason poll voting a five-member All-Patriot League Team and Preseason Player of the Year were selected. Holy Cross junior Briana McFadden was tabbed the 2008-09 Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year and was a member of the preseason All-League Team. McFadden was the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2007-08 and a First-Team All-Patriot League selection. Also on this year's preseason All-League squad were Army senior Alex McGuire, Holy Cross junior Bethany O'Dell, Lehigh junior Alex Ross and Navy sophomore Cassie Consedine. McGuire was named First-Team All-Patriot League a year ago, while O'Dell, Ross and Consedine were all second-team selections. Consedine was also tabbed the Patriot League Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team.
Holy Cross has won a League-high 11 Patriot League Tournament Championships, most recently in 2007 and was the tournament runner-up in 2008. Head Coach Bill Gibbons welcomes back all three of his All-League honorees from last season, including McFadden, O'Dell and an All-Rookie selection Elizabeth Campbell. McFadden was third in the League in scoring with 13.5 ppg, first in three throw percentage (.811) and sunk 50 baskets from long range.
Head Coach Sue Troyan will be looking to lead Lehigh its second-ever championship title, previously being crowned champion in 1997. Both Ross and senior Tricia Smith were Second-Team All-Patriot League mentions last season, while sophomore Erica Prosser was named to the All-Rookie squad. Ross averaged 10.8 points per game and led the League in three-pointers made with 78.
American went 11-3 last season to earn the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since joining the League in 2001 but is still in search of its first League title. The Eagles have a new head coach heading into the 2008-09 season but the face is familiar as Matt Corkery takes over the reigns after serving as an Associate Head Coach at American last year and spending the last four seasons with the team. While American lost two of its All-Patriot League selections from a year ago, the Eagles return their All-Rookie honoree Liz Leer. Leer started each of American's games last season and averaged 6.9 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
Head Coach Dave Magarity and the Army squad welcome back their second-leading scoring from a year ago in McGuire, who averaged 11.8 points per contest. McGuire's .798 free throw percentage was the third-best in the League. McGuire is the League's only active member of the 1,000 career points club with 1,056 over three years.
Bucknell was crowned the Patriot League Tournament Champion last year after making history as the first No. 5 seed in Patriot League Tournament history to take the title. Last year's title was the second for Head Coach Kathy Fedorjaka's Bison, who also won the tournament in 2002. After compiling an 8-6 record in League play, the Bison went on to defeat the No. 4, 1 and 2 seeds on their way to the championship trophy.
Sophomore LaKeisha Wright returns to action for Lafayette after garnering Patriot League All-Rookie Team honors a year ago. Wright was the Leopards' second-leading scorer with 9.2 points per outing, while grabbing 4.9 rebounds per game. Also back in uniform for Head Coach Tammy Smith is senior Cristin Zavocki who was second on the squad in scoring in 2007-08, averaging 9.3 points per game.
Navy will be under new direction this season as Stefanie Pemper takes over in Annapolis. Pemper has 10 years of head coaching experience, spending that time at Bowdoin and compiling a 235-48 career record. Consedine returns as the 2007-08 Patriot League Rookie of the Year after leading the League in rebounding (8.4) and coming in second in scoring (13.7). She was also second in blocks with her 72 rejections in her freshman year ranking her 19th on the Patriot League's career chart. Her 2.5 blocks per game ranked 19th in the nation. She also led the League in double-doubles with 12.
Colgate Head Coach Pam Bass will head into her second year at the helm of the Raider program. Four of Colgate's starters from a year ago are back in action, including the team's top-two scorers - sophomores Sami Kozlowski (9.3 ppg) and Krista Moser (6.4 ppg).
The season will officially get underway on Friday, Nov. 14, when six of eight Patriot League teams will be in action. Patriot League competition will begin on Saturday, Jan. 10. The Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals and semifinals will be held March 7-8 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The Patriot League Championship will be played on Wednesday, March 11 on the campus of the highest remaining seed. The Patriot League Championship will be televised by ESPNU.
2008-09 Patriot League Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Holy Cross (8 first-place votes) 90 points
2. Lehigh (6) 83
3. American (2) 75
4. Army 60
5. Bucknell 53
6. Lafayette 38
7. Navy 35
8. Colgate 14
2008-09 Patriot League Women's Basketball Player of the Year
Briana McFadden, Holy Cross (Jr., G, 5-10, Wheaton, Md./Good Counsel)
2008-09 Patriot League Women's Basketball Preseason All-League Team
Alex McGuire, Army (Sr., G, 5-8, Gambrills, Md./Arundel)
Briana McFadden, Holy Cross (Jr., G, 5-10, Wheaton, Md./Good Counsel)
Bethany O'Dell, Holy Cross (Jr., G, 5-8, Lincoln, R.I./Lincoln)
Alex Ross, Lehigh (Jr., G, 5-10, Columbia, Tenn./Columbia Central)
Cassie Consedine (So., C, 6-3, Bartlesville, Okla., Bartlesville)
