Women’s Basketball Projected Third in GNAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

WINTRHOP, Mass. – Suffolk women's basketball was picked to finish third in a vote by the conference's head coaches as the league unveiled the 2019-20 GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll Tuesday morning.  

The Rams finished with 113 points to land third, while Emmanuel is the field's favorite as the Saints garnered 10 first place picks for 142 points and Albertus Magnus scooped up second thanks to a pair of first-place nods for 129 points.  

Suffolk has one last chance to hoist the GNAC Championship cup as the Rams will compete in the conference one last time before transitioning to the Commonwealth Coast Conference as part of a University wide shift in 2020-21.  

Ed Leyden guided the Rams to their second straight semifinal showing a season going after going 9-3 against conference competition in the regular-season. With a main ingredient in Alexis Hackett sidelined due to injury, the blue-and-gold's year ended in the semis by the eventual conference champs Saint Joseph's (Maine) 19-8. 

Leyden welcomes back 79.44 percent of his scoring offense and 74.4 of his rebounding. Floor general Jenni-Rose DiCecco (17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) is back in blue-and-gold, while Hackett (11.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg) returns to the fold for her senior season. The pair will team up as co-captains to lead Leyden's 14-player roster comprised of nine veterans and five newcomers – four true freshmen and one transfer.  

Suffolk tips off its 37th season this Friday, Nov. 8 against Keene State in the friendly confines of the Ridgeway Building. Game time on the Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.