Link: GNAC Poll Release
WINTHROP, Mass. - The Albertus Magnus College women's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the 2019-20 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Preseason Poll. The rankings were released on Tuesday afternoon and are voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
Albertus exploded onto the scene last year in 2018-19, with a 23-4 overall record, a 10-2 conference mark, and a remarkable 12-0 home record. The Falcons took eventual conference champion Emmanuel College (Mass.), who was picked first in today's poll with 142 points, to overtime in both of their games last season, including a 78-72 loss in the GNAC Semifinals.
The Falcons return leading scorer Shyla Osmond (New Haven, Conn.) (20.8 PPG) and leading rebounder Rah Rah Thompson (Bridgeport, Conn.) (14.5 RPG). Osmond was picked as a GNAC First-Team All-Conference selection last year, while Thompson was named Second-Team All-Conference to go along with a USBWA D3 National Player of the Week accolade.
In addition to the players' success, eighth-year head coach JR Fredette notched his 100th career win last season in a 79-59 victory over conference rival Norwich College on Feb. 2nd. The team also set a program record with 118 points against Western Connecticut on Nov. 27th.
The Falcons earned 129 points in today's poll, finishing solidly in second place, only thirteen points behind Emmanuel for first place. Emmanuel took home 10 of the possible 12 first-place votes, while Albertus secured the final two first-place votes. Suffolk University earned 113 points to take third place, while Saint Joseph's College of Maine finished in fourth place with 108 points.
Colby-Sawyer College and Regis College finished fifth and sixth, respectively, with 94 and 85 points. Anna Maria College slotted in at seventh place, securing 77 points, while Johnson & Wales University came in eighth with 62 points. Norwich University and Rivier University were picked ninth and 10th with point totals of 49 and 28, while Lasell University (26) and University of Saint Joseph CT (23) rounded out the list in 11th and 12th place.
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
2019 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Emmanuel (10) – 142
2. Albertus Magnus (2) – 129
3. Suffolk – 113
4. Saint Joseph's Maine – 108
5. Colby-Sawyer – 94
6. Regis – 85
7. Anna Maria – 77
8. Johnson & Wales – 62
9. Norwich – 49
10. Rivier – 28
11. Lasell – 26
12. Saint Joseph CT - 23
