Atlantic 10 Release |
Atlantic 10 Preseason Video
Newport News, Va. – The Atlantic 10 has today announced the results of its' annual Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's 14 head coaches, and the Fordham women's basketball program has been predicted to finish joint-third alongside George Washington, the highest spot in a preseason poll during head coach
Stephanie Gaitley's tenure. For a second consecutive year, Fordham is also represented on the preseason All-Conference First Team with redshirt sophomore
Bre Cavanaugh garnering the honor a year removed from earning Second Team All-Conference and All-Rookie accolades after her freshman season.
"I have never been one to put too much emphasis on preseason polls," said Gaitley, "It's nice to be recognized by the coaches as a top-tier program. Now we have to go and earn it!"
The Rams finished their 2017-18 campaign with a 24-10 record, the fifth-most wins in school history and fifth 20-win season since Gaitley took over in 2011, and matched the program's longest postseason run by reaching the Sweet Sixteen of the WNIT. Fordham also equaled its best-ever finish in an Atlantic 10 season with a 12-4 record and third-place finish. As is typical with a Gaitley-led squad, the Rams allowed the 15
th-fewest points per game in the country, 56.5, and made 186 three-pointers as a team, fourth-most in school history. Under Gaitley, the Rams had finished as high as fourth, twice, in preseason polls.
Duquesne has been predicted to top the Atlantic 10 this season, garnering 12 first-place votes and 194 total points, right ahead of Dayton, who has two votes and 183 points. Fordham and George Washington each have 159 votes and rounding out the top five is Saint Joseph's with 112 votes. Wrapping up the top half of the predicted standings are VCU (108) and Saint Louis (104). After that it's George Mason in eighth (102), Massachusetts in ninth (90), and Richmond 10
th (87), then the bottom four of Davidson (72), St. Bonaventure (46), Rhode Island (31), and La Salle (23).
"I think Bre earned her spot on the First Team," added Gaitley, "I feel with her work ethic and talent she will meet this challenge."
Cavanaugh waited two years to compete on the collegiate stage and shone when she finally did, leading the team in scoring at 17.0 points per game and playing the second-most minutes in a single campaign, with 1,306, only behind teammate
Lauren Holden's record-breaking 1,333. Cavanaugh's 17.0 points per game ranked sixth in the conference and 41
st in the country, while her 578 total points ended up eighth-most in a single season at Fordham. She bested nearly every freshman school record except for Hall of Famer Anne Gregory O'Connell's historic 1976-77 season.
Cavanaugh set a record for starts by a rookie, with 34, finishing the year as just one of four players to appear in every contest. The Allamuchy, N.J. native also tallied 67 three-pointers, 41 steals, 60 assists, and chipped in 4.7 rebounds per contest, while notching four 30-point performances on the year, including a dramatic come-from-behind win at Drexel in the WNIT second round. She was also named the All-Metropolitan Rookie of the Year and to the Second Team.
Joining the redshirt sophomore on the First Team is Dayton's Jayla Scaife, George Mason's Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, and both Chassidy Omogrosso and Julijana Vojinovic of Duquesne.
Fordham's 2018-19 campaign kicks off on Friday, November 9
th inside the Rose Hill Gymnasium against Wagner. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. The game can be seen live on ESPN+. The Rams will also host an exhibition on Saturday, November 3
rd, at 7 p.m. against NYIT.
