MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Oct. 30) - The Saint Vincent women's basketball team is ranked No. 24 in the d3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 poll, announced the organization on Sunday afternoon.
Defending-National Champion Amherst (Mass.) claimed 13 of the 25 first-place votes to enter the season ranked No. 1. Chicago (Ill.) earned seven first-place votes and a No. 2 ranking while George Fox (Ore.) and William Patterson (N.J.) split the final five first-place votes to finish third and fourth, respectively, in the initial poll of the 2011-12 season.
With four starters returning from last season's team that finished 24-5 overall, second in the Presidents' Athletic Conference and earned a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament in their first year as a full member, the Bearcats earned 105 points from the polls' voters to crack the top 25.
Led by preseason Second-Team All-American forward
Brittany Sedlock, SVC returns 75.5 percent of its scoring from a season ago. Sedlock, a 5-9 senior who garnered PAC Player of the Year laurels last season, led the team with 16.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
The other returning starters are led by junior
Devin McGrath, a Second-Team All-PAC honoree in 2010-11. The 5-9 forward finished last year third on the team with 10.9 points per game and second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per contest. Senior guard
Emily Fenton also returns after averaging 10.0 points last year and will be joined in the backcourt by junior
Melissa Mansur, one of just three players to start all 29 games last season.
After finishing the 2010-11 campaign as the interim head coach,
Jimmy Petruska returns for his first full season at the helm of a Bearcats' program that has amassed a .623 winning percentage in 27 seasons.
“It's an honor to be recognized at the national level. It is our goal every season to be competitive nationally,” said Petruska. “It's a testament to our players for their dedication and sacrifices to improving our program.”
The Bearcats are one of two PAC teams represented in the poll, as defending-PAC Champion Thomas More enters the season ranked No. 18. Last year's NCAA Tournament first-round opponent, Greensboro (N.C.) enters this season ranked No. 15.
SVC opens the season Nov. 18-19 in Grantham, Pa., at the Hampton Inn Tip-Off Classic hosted by No. 22 Messiah.
2011-12 d3hoops.com Preseason Top 25 Poll
|
1 |
Amherst (13) |
32-1 |
593 |
1 |
|
2 |
Chicago (7) |
25-4 |
590 |
5 |
|
3 |
George Fox (3) |
25-6 |
541 |
12 |
|
4 |
William Paterson (2) |
26-4 |
494 |
15 |
|
5 |
Babson |
30-1 |
484 |
8 |
|
6 |
Calvin |
25-5 |
482 |
19 |
|
7 |
Washington U. |
25-6 |
423 |
2 |
|
8 |
Rochester |
21-6 |
371 |
22 |
|
9 |
Lebanon Valley |
28-3 |
323 |
9 |
|
10 |
DePauw |
25-4 |
308 |
16 |
|
11 |
UW-Stevens Point |
27-3 |
306 |
7 |
|
12 |
Denison |
28-1 |
288 |
18 |
|
13 |
Mount Union |
26-4 |
274 |
21 |
|
14 |
Bowdoin |
24-6 |
251 |
8 |
|
15 |
Greensboro |
28-3 |
238 |
13 |
|
16 |
Colby |
22-6 |
203 |
-- |
|
17 |
Illinois Wesleyan |
27-6 |
185 |
4 |
|
18 |
Thomas More |
30-1 |
178 |
6 |
|
19 |
Hope |
27-3 |
167 |
11 |
|
20 |
Muhlenberg |
23-6 |
164 |
20 |
|
21 |
UW-Whitewater |
21-7 |
121 |
-- |
|
22 |
Messiah |
19-8 |
109 |
-- |
|
23 |
Howard Payne |
22-8 |
106 |
-- |
|
24 |
Saint Vincent |
24-5 |
105 |
-- |
|
25 |
Lewis and Clark |
21-7 |
101 |
-- |
