Women's Basketball Pegged Third in CSAC Preseason Poll
Marywood reached the CSAC semis and ECAC quarterfinals in 2012-13

Women's Basketball Pegged Third in CSAC Preseason Poll

Women's Basketball - 11/12/2013 2:11:00 PM

Aston, PA - Coming off its sixth straight season with a winning record, Marywood University women's basketball is pegged third in the Colonial States Athletic Conference pre-season coaches poll, conference officials announced Tuesday. The Pacers received 95 points behind Cabrini College and Gwynedd Mercy University.

Marywood returns four of its five leading starters from last season. Brittany Mang was named to the All-Conference second team in 2012-13 after averaging a team-high 12.6 points per game and breaking the school's single-season record with 86 steals. Morgann Haduck broke the school record with a .841 free-throw percentage. The Pacers advanced to the CSAC semifinals, where it lost 68-56 to Gwynedd Mercy. They reached the ECAC tournament for the third straight season and fell 67-61 to Swarthmore College in the quarterfinals.

Cabrini are the coaches' choice to capture the 2013-14 Colonial States Athletic Conference women's basketball crown. Cabrini, under the direction of fifth-year head coach Kate Pearson, made a perfect run through its CSAC slate a year ago and tied the program record for wins in a season with 24. The top-seeded Cavaliers defeated sixth-seeded Keystone College, 72-62, in the conference semifinals and second-seeded Gwynedd Mercy University (then Gwynedd-Mercy College), 49-38, in the championship game to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season. Cabrini fell to No. 9 Catholic University, 52-44, in the opening round of the NCAAs.

"It's an honor for us to receive such recognition in such a deep conference," said Pearson. "Our student-athletes have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. We hope to prove our worthiness of our preseason position over the course of the next several months."

Gwynedd Mercy University, the 2012-13 CSAC runner-up, was picked to finish second after coming off an 18-9 campaign last season. Neumann University and Keystone College occupy fourth and fifth spots in the poll, respectively, after all matching Marywood with identical 11-5 records in league play in 2012-13. Rosemont College was picked sixth a year after finishing third in the CSAC; the Ravens suffered a narrow 82-81 setback at the hands of Keystone in the opening round of the CSAC playoffs.

Immaculata University (seventh), Centenary College (eighth), Baptist Bible College (ninth), Cedar Crest College (10th), Cairn University (11th) and Notre Dame of Maryland University (12th) round out this year's poll.

Marywood will seek help from Danielle Terranella (8.2 ppg) and Nora Joyce (7.7 ppg) in the box score. Carly Leitzel (5 rpg) brings senior leadership to the forward platoon. Courtney Murray was one of the leading blockers in the league with 30 last season.

The Pacers open their season Saturday against Central Penn College at 1:00 pm at the Insalaco Arena.

2013-14 CSAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

Place Team Points* 2012-13 Record (CSAC)
1. Cabrini College 121 (11) 24-4 (16-0)
2. Gwynedd Mercy University 108 (1) 18-9 (13-3)
3. Marywood University 95 15-13 (11-5)
4. Neumann University 90 13-14 (11-5)
5. Keystone College 76 18-9 (11-5)
6. Rosemont College 73 17-9 (12-4)
7. Immaculata University 71 9-16 (7-9)
8. Centenary College 53 8-17 (6-10)
9. Baptist Bible College 37 6-17 (5-11)
10. Cedar Crest College 30 2-23 (1-15)
11. Cairn University 25 2-22 (2-14)
12. Notre Dame of Maryland University 13 1-21 (1-15)

*First place votes in (parentheses)

Print Friendly Version