DOMINICAN AND HOLY FAMILY TOP CACC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL

Courtesy of Kirk Reed, Assistant Commissioner of the CACC

New Haven, CT  (11/9/07)  Dominican College and Holy Family University top the 2007 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Basketball Preseason Polls in balloting released today. Dominican is the choice to win the North Division, while Holy Family was the unanimous selection to win the South Division. The 13 head coaches conducted the voting. The CACC will be split into two divisions this season, which is a first for the conference. Holy Family has won seven consecutive CACC regular-season championships and four of the last seven tournament titles.

Dominican picked up eight first-place nods and 72 total points to top the North Division. The Chargers tied for third in the regular-season standings last year with a 15-7 record to go with a 19-10 overall mark. Dominican returns three starters from that team, including leading-scorer and All-CACC Honorable Mention pick, sophomore Adele Laskowski. Laskowski ranked ninth in the CACC last year with an average of 15.1 points per-game as a freshman.

Bloomfield was picked second in the north and returns six players who started at least 11 games last year. The Deacons tied for fifth in the conference with a 14-8 record and were 15-12 overall. Returning to lead the Deacons is senior forward Marissa Franklin. Franklin, who was named to the All-CACC second team last year, finished seventh in the CACC with 15.8 ppg and 10th with 8.1 rebounds per-game.  Also back is All-CACC Honorable Mention, senior F/C Shantae Barnes. Barnes stood third in the conference last year with 10.1 rebounds per-contest.

Caldwell was picked third in the North Division with 51 total points, while Nyack was fourth with 31. Rounding out the north is Post with 27 points and Felician with 22.

Holy Family received all 13 first-place votes in the south and 91 total points. The Tigers will be looking for their eighth-straight regular-season crown this year and will be led by 2006-07 CACC Player of the Year, Kelly Killion. Killion, a senior point guard, leads three returning starters for the Tigers, including third team All-CACC selection Melissa Brooks. Killion ranked 10th in the conference with 14.6 ppg and was fifth with 4.22 assists per-game last year. Furthermore, she led the league in 3-point field-goal percentage (.423) and 3-pointers made (93). Brooks, a junior forward, averaged 9.8 ppg last season along with 3.8 rebounds. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Northeast Region Tournament as the No. 5 seed and upended No. 4 Saint Rose in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual national champion, Southern Connecticut State, in the semifinals.

Philadelphia was second in the south with 67 points and was followed closely by Wilmington (63) and USP (62). Wilmington returns the 2006-07 CACC Rookie of the Year, Amelia Simmons, who ranked third in the conference with 19.5 ppg and seventh with 8.8 rebounds per-game last year as a freshman.

The south poll concludes with Georgian Court, which received 34 points, Goldey-Beacom with 32 and CACC-newcomer Chestnut Hill College with 15.

The season kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 15, with two games. Columbia Union will travel to face Wilmington and Merrimack will visit Post.

The conference season starts with five games on Saturday, December 1. Holy Family will travel to USP, Georgian Court visits Goldey-Beacom, Post plays host to Nyack, Caldwell goes to Felician and Dominican hosts Bloomfield.

The 2007 CACC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll is below.

2007 CACC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

North Division

School                                            2006-07 Records       Points

   1.     Dominican (8)                       21-9/15-7 CACC              72

2.     Bloomfield (5)                       15-12/14-8                        70

3.     Caldwell                               10-17/8-14                        51

  4.     Nyack                                     7-18/5-17                          31

  5.     Post                                        9-19/9-13                          27

 6.     Felician                                  2-28/1-21                          22

()-First Place Votes

South Division

School                                            2006-07 Records       Points

1.     Holy Family (13)                   29-3/22-0 CACC              91

2.     Philadelphia                          21-10/16-6                        67

3.     Wilmington                           13-15/10-12                      63

4.     USP                                        19-10/15-7                        62

5.     Georgian Court                     5-22/3-19                          34

6.     Goldey-Beacom                    18-11/14-8                        32

7.     Chestnut Hill                         15-11/12-4*                      15

()-First Place Votes

* - Record as a member of the NEAC