Temple University Athletics
Women's Basketball Picked to Tie With Dayton For First Place in the Atlantic 10
10.26.11 | Women's Basketball
Owls coming off a 13-1 A-10 season a year ago; return two of three leading scorers
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Temple and Dayton, two of the A-10's three 2011 NCAA Tournament participants, have tied for the top spot in the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 Conference Women's Basketball predicted order of finish. Both the Owls and the Flyers received seven first-place votes and 189 points, according to a vote of the league's head coaches. Duquesne, Charlotte and Saint Joseph's round out the top five, respectively.
Temple (24-9/13-1) welcomes back three starters among eight letterwinners from a program that made its eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and second-straight showing in the NCAA Second Round last season. The Owls return two of their top three scorers from a year ago in senior guards Shey Peddy (team-best 14.1 ppg) and Kristen McCarthy (13.2 ppg) – both preseason All-Conference first team picks. Peddy was also named to the league's preseason All-Defensive Team. Reigning A-10 Coach of the Year Tonya Cardoza returns for her fourth season in Philadelphia with an overall record of 70-28.
The top spot is a change for Temple, who for the last three years has been picked to finish lower than where the Owls ended up. Last year Temple was picked third but narrowly finished in second, and two years ago the Owls were picked fifth but went on to tie for second.
Dayton (21-12/9-5) returns four starters among 11 letterwinners from a team that made its first appearance in the A-10 Championship game in 2010-11 and earned the program's fourth consecutive postseason berth and second straight NCAA at-large bid. Head Coach Jim Jabir welcomes back seven seniors, including preseason All-Conference first team selection and Wooden Award candidate Justine Raterman. Raterman, a senior forward, led Dayton and ranked sixth in the league in scoring last season, averaging 16.1 points a game, while corralling a team-best 7.3 rebounds a game. In addition to Raterman, senior guard Patrice Lalor was also a preseason All-Conference third team selection and senior center Casey Nance garnered preseason All-Defensive Team honors.
Duquesne (24-9/9-5), which reached the Third Round of the WNIT for the first time in school history last season and won a record-setting 24 games, returns four of its top five scorers from the 2010-11 season, including a trio of preseason All-Conference selections in Vanessa Abel, leading scorer Alex Gensler, and A-10 Rookie of the Year Wumi Agunbiade. Abel and Agunbiade, both second team picks, averaged 10.0 points and 11.2 points a game, respectively. Abel, a third-team pick that averaged 12.6 points a game last season, was also named to the A-10's preseason All-Defensive Team.
Charlotte (27-10/9-5), which made the program's first appearance in the WNIT semifinals and won a school-record 27 games last season, was picked fourth in the poll and is led by preseason All-Conference first team recipient Epiphany Woodson. The local Charlotte product topped the 49ers' roster in assists, recording 2.9 distributions a game and ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per contest. Junior forward Jennifer Hailey was also honored with a spot on the preseason All-Defensive squad.
The 49ers are followed by fellow WNIT participants Saint Joseph's (20-12/8-6) and St. Bonaventure (21-12/9-5). SJU returns all five starters, including its top scorer from a year ago in Michelle Baker (12.2 ppg). Baker earned both preseason All-Conference second team and All-Defensive team honors. The Bonnies placed a pair of student-athletes on the preseason teams, including first team selection Megan Van Tatenhove (14.5 ppg) and third-team recipient Jessica Jenkins (13.1 ppg).
Two-time defending A-10 Champion Xavier (29-3/14-0), which was picked seventh among the coaches, returns only one starter in preseason All-Conference third team honoree Tyeasha Moss (10.4 ppg), while Richmond (18-12/9-5) was chosen to finish eighth and is led by preseason All-Conference second team selection and the squad's lone senior Abby Oliver (14.0 ppg).
Following Xavier and Richmond in this year's predicted order of finish is: George Washington (9th; 8-21/3-11); Massachusetts (10th; 7-23/3-11); La Salle (11th; 10-20/6-8); Fordham (12th; 12-19/4-10); Rhode Island (13th; 7-21/1-13); and Saint Louis (14th; 7-22/1-13).
On the same ballot, the coaches selected the three preseason All-Conference teams. The first-team consists of McCarthy, Peddy, Raterman, Van Tatenhove and Woodson, while the second-team features Abel, Agunbiade, Baker, Hailey and Oliver. The third team is comprised of Gensler, Jenkins, Lalor, Moss and Jasmine Watson of Massachusetts.
The preseason All-Defensive team consists of Abel, Baker, Hailey, Nance and Peddy.
The 2011-12 season tips off on Friday, Nov. 11, as 10 of the A-10's 14 teams are in action. The top 12 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship, to be held March 2-5 at Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena on the campus of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. First round action of the Championship begins on Friday, March 2, with the top four teams earning a bye. Quarterfinal play continues on Saturday, March 3, with the Semifinal round aired live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, March 4. The Championship game will be held on Monday, March 5, and televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN3 at 5:00pm ET.
For the third time in Conference history and in as many years, the Atlantic 10 saw eight of its 14 member institutions competing in postseason tournament play last year. Nationally-ranked Xavier, along with Dayton and Temple, each received bids to the NCAA Tournament, while Charlotte, Duquesne, Richmond, St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph's received invitations to the WNIT. Last season marked the sixth time in seven years that the A-10 has fielded three teams in the NCAA Tournament, while tying a league record for most WNIT bids received (2009, 2010).
2011-12 A-10 Women's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes)
TEAM - POINTS
1. Dayton (7) - 189
Temple (7) - 189
3. Duquesne - 159
4. Charlotte - 141
5. Saint Joseph's - 129
6. St. Bonaventure - 125
7. Xavier - 119
8. Richmond - 112
9. George Washington - 73
10. Massachusetts - 70
11. La Salle - 65
12. Fordham - 42
13. Rhode Island - 31
14. Saint Louis - 26
Temple (24-9/13-1) welcomes back three starters among eight letterwinners from a program that made its eighth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and second-straight showing in the NCAA Second Round last season. The Owls return two of their top three scorers from a year ago in senior guards Shey Peddy (team-best 14.1 ppg) and Kristen McCarthy (13.2 ppg) – both preseason All-Conference first team picks. Peddy was also named to the league's preseason All-Defensive Team. Reigning A-10 Coach of the Year Tonya Cardoza returns for her fourth season in Philadelphia with an overall record of 70-28.
The top spot is a change for Temple, who for the last three years has been picked to finish lower than where the Owls ended up. Last year Temple was picked third but narrowly finished in second, and two years ago the Owls were picked fifth but went on to tie for second.
Dayton (21-12/9-5) returns four starters among 11 letterwinners from a team that made its first appearance in the A-10 Championship game in 2010-11 and earned the program's fourth consecutive postseason berth and second straight NCAA at-large bid. Head Coach Jim Jabir welcomes back seven seniors, including preseason All-Conference first team selection and Wooden Award candidate Justine Raterman. Raterman, a senior forward, led Dayton and ranked sixth in the league in scoring last season, averaging 16.1 points a game, while corralling a team-best 7.3 rebounds a game. In addition to Raterman, senior guard Patrice Lalor was also a preseason All-Conference third team selection and senior center Casey Nance garnered preseason All-Defensive Team honors.
Duquesne (24-9/9-5), which reached the Third Round of the WNIT for the first time in school history last season and won a record-setting 24 games, returns four of its top five scorers from the 2010-11 season, including a trio of preseason All-Conference selections in Vanessa Abel, leading scorer Alex Gensler, and A-10 Rookie of the Year Wumi Agunbiade. Abel and Agunbiade, both second team picks, averaged 10.0 points and 11.2 points a game, respectively. Abel, a third-team pick that averaged 12.6 points a game last season, was also named to the A-10's preseason All-Defensive Team.
Charlotte (27-10/9-5), which made the program's first appearance in the WNIT semifinals and won a school-record 27 games last season, was picked fourth in the poll and is led by preseason All-Conference first team recipient Epiphany Woodson. The local Charlotte product topped the 49ers' roster in assists, recording 2.9 distributions a game and ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points per contest. Junior forward Jennifer Hailey was also honored with a spot on the preseason All-Defensive squad.
The 49ers are followed by fellow WNIT participants Saint Joseph's (20-12/8-6) and St. Bonaventure (21-12/9-5). SJU returns all five starters, including its top scorer from a year ago in Michelle Baker (12.2 ppg). Baker earned both preseason All-Conference second team and All-Defensive team honors. The Bonnies placed a pair of student-athletes on the preseason teams, including first team selection Megan Van Tatenhove (14.5 ppg) and third-team recipient Jessica Jenkins (13.1 ppg).
Two-time defending A-10 Champion Xavier (29-3/14-0), which was picked seventh among the coaches, returns only one starter in preseason All-Conference third team honoree Tyeasha Moss (10.4 ppg), while Richmond (18-12/9-5) was chosen to finish eighth and is led by preseason All-Conference second team selection and the squad's lone senior Abby Oliver (14.0 ppg).
Following Xavier and Richmond in this year's predicted order of finish is: George Washington (9th; 8-21/3-11); Massachusetts (10th; 7-23/3-11); La Salle (11th; 10-20/6-8); Fordham (12th; 12-19/4-10); Rhode Island (13th; 7-21/1-13); and Saint Louis (14th; 7-22/1-13).
On the same ballot, the coaches selected the three preseason All-Conference teams. The first-team consists of McCarthy, Peddy, Raterman, Van Tatenhove and Woodson, while the second-team features Abel, Agunbiade, Baker, Hailey and Oliver. The third team is comprised of Gensler, Jenkins, Lalor, Moss and Jasmine Watson of Massachusetts.
The preseason All-Defensive team consists of Abel, Baker, Hailey, Nance and Peddy.
The 2011-12 season tips off on Friday, Nov. 11, as 10 of the A-10's 14 teams are in action. The top 12 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the Atlantic 10 Championship, to be held March 2-5 at Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena on the campus of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. First round action of the Championship begins on Friday, March 2, with the top four teams earning a bye. Quarterfinal play continues on Saturday, March 3, with the Semifinal round aired live on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, March 4. The Championship game will be held on Monday, March 5, and televised live on ESPN2 and ESPN3 at 5:00pm ET.
For the third time in Conference history and in as many years, the Atlantic 10 saw eight of its 14 member institutions competing in postseason tournament play last year. Nationally-ranked Xavier, along with Dayton and Temple, each received bids to the NCAA Tournament, while Charlotte, Duquesne, Richmond, St. Bonaventure and Saint Joseph's received invitations to the WNIT. Last season marked the sixth time in seven years that the A-10 has fielded three teams in the NCAA Tournament, while tying a league record for most WNIT bids received (2009, 2010).
2011-12 A-10 Women's Basketball Predicted Order of Finish (First-Place Votes)
TEAM - POINTS
1. Dayton (7) - 189
Temple (7) - 189
3. Duquesne - 159
4. Charlotte - 141
5. Saint Joseph's - 129
6. St. Bonaventure - 125
7. Xavier - 119
8. Richmond - 112
9. George Washington - 73
10. Massachusetts - 70
11. La Salle - 65
12. Fordham - 42
13. Rhode Island - 31
14. Saint Louis - 26
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