NEW HAVEN, CT Holy Family University, last years regular-season and conference tournament champion, has been picked to win the 2005-06 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) womens basketball title, as voted upon by the leagues head coaches in a preseason poll. The Tigers have won five consecutive CACC regular-season crowns and four of the last six tournament championships.

HFU garnered 12 of the 13 first-place votes in the poll for a total of 167 points after going 25-6 overall and 21-1 in conference play last year. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament before falling to American International in the opening round.

The University of Sciences in Philadelphia finished second in the poll with 141 points after compiling a 21-9 overall slate in 2004-05 to go with a 17-5 conference finish. Bloomfield College, which received the remaining first-place vote in the poll, was close behind in the third spot with 139 points. The Deacons went 21-9 overall last season and 19-3 against conference foes.

New Jersey Institute of Technology and Philadelphia University finished fourth and fifth in the poll with 131 and 124 points, respectively. NJIT went 18-12 overall and 16-6 in the CACC last year, while the newcomer Rams finished 20-13 overall, along with a 17-7 conference mark to finish third in the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.

CACC Womens Basketball 2005 Preseason Coaches Poll

School 2004-05 Records Points

1. Holy Family (12) 25-6/21-1 167

2. USP 21-9/17-5 141

3. Bloomfield (1) 21-9/19-3 139

4. NJIT 18-12/16-6 131

5. Philadelphia* 20-13/17-7 124

6. Dominican 14-14/12-10 98

7. Wilmington 14-14/10-12 78

8. Felician 11-17/11-11 72

9. Caldwell 9-18/8-14 65

10. Post 8-20/8-14 63

11. Georgian Court 4-23/3-19 45

T12 Goldey-Beacom 5-22/4-18 30

Nyack 3-24/3-19 30

Record as a member of the NYCAC

()-First Place Votes