St. Lawrence tabbed preseason favorite in 2015-16 women’s basketball poll
For the fifth straight year, the St. Lawrence women’s basketball team has been selected as the Liberty League 2015-16 preseason favorite in a vote of the league head coaches. The Saints captured the regular season title last season and advanced to the league championship game before falling to Skidmore in double-overtime.
St. Lawrence received six first-place votes and a total of 61 points to lead off the preseason poll. Vassar was picked to finish second with 53 points. Clarkson (48 points), Union (42 points) and Skidmore (34 points) were selected to finish third, fourth and fifth, respectively, and each team received a first-place vote. The Thoroughbreds were followed by RPI (31), RIT (26), William Smith (21) and Bard (8).
St. Lawrence (20-7, 13-3 Liberty League) returns three starters and nine players to the roster from a team that won 20 games and dropped only three in Liberty League play in 2014-15. Starters sophomore forward Caroline Dalton, sophomore guard Jenny Scudder and senior guard Lauren Quattrocchi will lead the team this year. Dalton was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 11.5 points per game and she was second in rebounds with a 5.7 per game average. Scudder (7.6 ppg) and Quattrocchi (6.3 ppg) were fourth and fifth in scoring on the team, respectively. Quattrocchi also led the team in assists per game (4.0) as well as steals (49). The Saints will have big shoes to fill to again reach the Liberty League tournament with the graduation of 2014-15 All-Liberty League Player of the Year Kara McDuffee and 2014-15 All-Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year Allison Cady. St. Lawrence does bring in a strong freshman class of seven first year players to begin the season.
Vassar (12-13, 7-9 Liberty League) has four starters back to open the 2015-16 season as the Brewers aim for a Liberty League tournament berth after missing the playoffs for the first time in four years last season. Vassar returns four of its top-five scorers from a season ago, including All-Liberty League first-team selection senior guard Caitlin Drakeley, who averaged a team-high 17.5 points per game and 2.6 assists per game. The Brewers also welcome back 2014-15 Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year, sophomore guard/forward Ariella Rosenthal as she was second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season. Against league opponents she was even stronger, averaging 12.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. Senior forward Colleen O’Connell is also back, she was tops on the team in rebounds (7.8 per game) and senior forward Rose Serafini returns, she produced a team-high 64 blocks, a year ago.
Last season,
Clarkson (18-8, 11-5 Liberty League) reached the Liberty League tournament for the first time in program history as the third-seed. The Golden Knights hope to build upon that recent success as head coach Maureen Webster begins her second year in Potsdam. Clarkson welcomes back four starters to the team and four of their top-five offensive leaders including three-time All-Liberty League second-team selection senior forward Ashley Loggins. Last season, Loggins posted 13 double-doubles and had nine games with 20-plus points, averaging 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She was among the top-five league leaders in both categories. Stephanie Grobe (10.1 ppg), Devin Sorell (8.4 ppg) and Madison Shea (6.4 ppg) also return as the team led the league in scoring (71.2 ppg), field goal percentage (39.8%), 3-point field goal percentage (31.3%) and steals (10.8 spg).
Union (17-9, 12-13 Liberty League) also returns four starters to open the 2015-16 campaign after reaching the league semifinals last season for the first time since 2011-2012. The Dutchwomen are paced by senior guard Cailin Schmeer (11.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg) and All-Liberty League Rookie team selection sophomore guard Jenni Barra (11.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg). The duo led the team in scoring last season as they both averaged over 11 points per game and nearly three rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Natalie Leone is also a key returnee for Union, last year she led the team with 2.5 assists per game and she was second on the team in rebounds (6.9 rpg).
It will be a rebuilding year this season for 2014-15 Liberty League defending champion
Skidmore (17-11, 11-5 Liberty League) as the Thoroughbreds will feature a nearly all-new starting lineup. Graduated are seniors forward Angela Botiba (13.9 ppg, 10.5 ppg) and guard Molly McLaughlin (8.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg), who earned All-Liberty League first- and second-team honors respectively. However, sophomore guard Kelly Donnelly, the 2014-15 Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year leads the seven returning players for Skidmore. Donnelly was second on the team in scoring, averaging 10.1 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game. She also led the team in steals (42) and was second in blocks (33). Also returning is lone senior Amber Holgate, who came off the bench in 27 of 28 games and finished fourth on the team in points (237) and third in steals (30). Skidmore will be a young squad with seven incoming freshman but the team will gain plenty of experience prior to the beginning of league play.
RIT (12-13, 6-10 Liberty League) comes into the 2015-16 campaign as one of the more experienced teams in the league with four starters and nine total players back on the roster. Last season, the Tigers are made a late season run winning four of their last six games to finish the year with a program-high 12 wins. Two of RIT’s top returners are leading scorers in All-Liberty League rookie team selection sophomore guard/forward Jessica Glaz (12.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and junior guard Julia Bender (8.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg). Senior guard Maria Edwards will pilot the offense after leading the team with 63 assists and averaging 2.1 assists per game, a year ago.
William Smith (4-20, 3-13 Liberty League) is also expected to be an improved team as the Herons were young last season but now boast 13 returning players with another year of experience under their belts, including three starters. Two of their top-three scorers are back to bolster the offense—junior forward Gabrielle Eure (10.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and junior guard Mel Patterson (9.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg). William Smith also welcomes back Courtney Chase as one of its key returnees as she led the team in 3-point field goal percentage at 33.3% and she was tops on the team with 21 made, last season.
Bard (4-21, 0-16) will continue to improve this season under second-year head coach Sarah Cartmill and a core group of seven returning players. Leading scorers and seniors forward Tytravia Riley and point guard Bianka Bell are back to pace the team offensively as both averaged double-digits points in 2014-15. Riley was named to the All-Liberty League second-team last year, with a team-high average of 13.8 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game. Riley also led the team in steals (68) and field-goal shooting percentage (40.2%). Bell averaged 12.7 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game. Both were ranked among the top-15 scorers in the league while Riley led the league with her rebounds per game. The Raptors also welcome five newcomers to the team to open 2015-16.
2015-16 LIBERTY LEAGUE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. St. Lawrence, 61 (6)
2. Vassar, 53
3. Clarkson, 48 (1)
4. Union, 42 (1)
5. Skidmore, 34 (1)
6. RPI, 31
7. RIT, 26
8. William Smith, 21
9. Bard, 8
(First-place votes are in parentheses)