St. Lawrence, led by senior guard/forward Kara McDuffee, has been selected as the Liberty League preseason favorite in women's basketball. The Saints won the regular-season title in 2013-14 before falling to Vassar in the league championship game.
St. Lawrence selected as Liberty League preseason favorite in Women's Basketball
St. Lawrence University, which captured the 2013-14 Liberty League regular-season title before falling to Vassar College in the league championship game, has been selected as the preseason favorite in a vote of the head coaches.
With many of the Liberty League's top performers from 2013-14 graduating, there will be many new starters in lineups across the league in 2014-15. As a result of the new faces, the coaches are expecting a great deal of balance in the league, as evidenced by five schools receiving first-place votes in the poll.
St. Lawrence (19-8, 14-2 Liberty League) received four first-place votes and 59 points in the poll. The Saints return three starters led by All-Liberty League first-team selection Kara McDuffee. McDuffee led St. Lawrence in both scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and 10.1 rebounds last season. She also connected on a team-leading 28 3-pointers. Senior guard Allison Cady, who ranked among the league leaders in assists with 96, will direct the St. Lawrence offense. Sophomore forward Caroline Dalton, the Liberty League Co-Rookie of the Year last year, will also play a prominent role at both ends of the floor.
Skidmore (11-14, 6-10 Liberty League), which received two first-place votes, was picked second. The Thoroughbreds were a young team last year with only one senior starter. With five players returning with starting experience this year, Skidmore will be one of the league's more experienced teams. Senior forward Angela Botiba, an All-Liberty League second-team selection last season, averaged 13.2 points and 11.0 rebounds to go along with 30 blocked shots. Botiba should be poised for strong senior season. Senior point guard Molly McLaughlin averaged 9.0 points and was a steady ball-handler with 107 assists and only 50 turnovers. Seven of Skidmore's 10 Liberty League losses were by 10 points or less.
Vassar (23-6, 13-3 Liberty League) captured the Liberty League tournament title and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship last season. The Brewers, who earned a first-round victory over Williams, graduated a pair of 1,000-point scorers in guard Cydni Matsuoka and forward Hannah Senftleber. Matsuoka, the Liberty League Player of the Year, All-American and the program's all-time leading scorer, recorded one of the top seasons in Liberty League history as she averaged 18.8 points on 49.6 percent shooting while handing out 5.8 assists per game. Senftleber (14.6 points, 9.6 rebounds) was the team's second-leading scorer, leading rebounder and an All-Liberty League second-team selection. Vassar will still be a strong contender as junior guard Caitlin Drakeley (12.9 points, 68 assists), an honorable mention All-Liberty League selection, will be the team's top backcourt scorer. Junior forward Colleen O'Connell, a 2012-13 All-Liberty League selection, also returns after missing the entire season a year ago after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason.
William Smith (19-7, 12-4 Liberty League) graduated three starters from last year's team that finished third in the regular-season standings, but the Herons do not expect to be in a rebuilding mode. Senior forward Chloe Hayter, an All-Liberty League first-team selection, led William Smith in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (8.4) last season and should be one of the league's top post players. Sophomore guard Melanie Patterson, the league's Co-Rookie of the Year along with Dalton, saw significant minutes last year and will assume a more prominent role this season. Senior guard Ali Pliszka and junior forward Lauren Brustein were regular contributors a year ago and could also see an increased role this season.
RIT (14-12, 10-6 Liberty League) also graduated four seniors who were key contributors last season. Courtney Tennant, Kayla Wheeler, Jess Kramer and Mallory Apperson combined for nearly 40 points per game in 2013-14. Like William Smith, RIT has a number of young players who are expected to step forward into contributing roles. Junior guard Ashlynn Palmitesso, the league's fourth-leading scorer (15.3 points, 52 3-pointers), will be one of the Liberty League's top shooters. Junior Maria Edwards and sophomore Sydney Frank also saw extensive action last season, starting 12 games apiece.
Union (16-9, 8-8 Liberty League) returns a pair of double-digit scorers in senior forward Kate Thompson (10.2) and junior guard Cailin Schmeer (10.1). Sophomore guard Natalie Leone (5.1 points), a member of the Liberty League All-Rookie Team, was one of the team's top reserves last season. The Dutchwomen have consistently featured a balanced offense that has not relied on one particular player, so a number of players may step forward to help replace the loss of three starters to graduation.
Clarkson (9-15, 4-12 Liberty League) has seniors on its roster for the first time in two years. The Golden Knights were a young, competitive team in the league last season. Despite the 9-15 overall record, Clarkson outscored its opponents by a margin of 58.8 to 58.2. In Liberty League play, the Golden Knights had eight losses by 10 points or fewer, including two 2-point losses and one overtime loss. With the top four scorers returning from a year ago, first-year head coach Maureen Webster will be looking for her squad to make a move up the Liberty League standings. Junior guard/forward Ashley Loggins, an All-Liberty League second-team selection, led the Golden Knights in both scoring (15.0) and rebounding (7.3) while senior guard Cara Manfredi (13.7 points) was also a double-digit scorer. Senior guard Leighann Tomita, who averaged 12.7 points during the 2012-13 season, also returns to bolster the backcourt.
RPI (7-18, 5-11 Liberty League) has been plagued by injuries in recent seasons, but returns a wealth of players with starting experience. Junior guard/forward Ashley Clough, an All-Liberty League second-team selection last season, averaged a team-leading 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds while often having to play frontcourt positions due to injuries. Senior guard/forward Amanda Lynch was also a double-digit scorer for the Engineers, averaging 13.7 points along with 7.0 rebounds. RPI also welcomes nine newcomers who will also bolster an experienced roster.
Bard (1-24, 0-16 Liberty League) will be looking to continue its improvement in its fourth season as a member of the Liberty League. Head coach Sarah Cartmill takes over the Raptor program after eight seasons as a Division I assistant coach. Cartmill will continue to develop the Bard program around junior forward Tytravia Riley, an All-Liberty League first-team selection last season after averaging 17.4 points along with a league-leading 12.7 rebounds. Junior guard Bianka Bell missed several games at the beginning of the season, but returned to average 12.1 points per game. Seniors Liz Freud (6.8 points) and Joanna Regan (6.0 points) along sophomore Annie Kissel (2.6 points) also return with starting experience.
2014-15 LIBERTY LEAGUE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PRESEASON POLL
1. St. Lawrence (4), 59
2. Skidmore (2), 51
3. Vassar (1), 48
4. William Smith (1), 45
5. RIT (1), 38
6. Union, 26
7. Clarkson, 25
8. RPI, 24
9. Bard, 8
(First-place votes in parentheses)