Women's Notebook - East Region Down to Three Undefeated Teams

Women’s Notebook – And Then There Were Three…

By Stephen Zerdelian 

Last time in this space, we noted that there were seven undefeated teams in the region. Well, that number has dwindled to three in short order, and while it’s not exactly expected that there will be many unbeaten teams, the 50%+ cut did seem fast. So, what happened to the four that were handed an initial loss in the last week?

Both Assumption (#4 in last week’s WBCA poll) and Bentley (8^th in the same poll) were in the top 10 last week but both fell to defeat on the same night (and dropped to #11 and #16 because of it this week). Assumption lost at the College of Saint Rose on November 21 by a 62-55 count despite Marina Callahan netting 20 points. She was the only Greyhound in double digits, though, while the improved Golden Knights received 17 points from Peyton Graber and 16 points from Syrita Faraj to lead their attack. Saint Rose used a 19-9 third period edge to craft a 44-33 lead and never looked back, winning their first game of the season in the process.

The same evening Bentley fell to AIC, 66-64, in a hard-fought game at Butova Gym. Briana Lee (19 points, 9 caroms), Ruzgar Christina Boyle (16 points) and Kayla Robinson (12 points) topped the ticket for the Yellow Jackets while Ella Thompson (18 points) and Maggie Whitmore (12 points) led the Falcons. Bentley had this one seemingly in hand with 7:43 to play (59-49) but a 17-5 closing run sent AIC to victory, including a pair of Lee foul shots with :08 left to put them ahead for good, 65-64.

The region had another day when two undefeated teams went down shortly thereafter, as Mercy and Southern New Hampshire both sustained losses on Sunday the 26^th. Mercy rallied from a 56-41 deficit with 9:41 left to take the lead at Goldey-Beacom, 59-58, with 3:46 to go, only to see the Lighting respond. Jenissa Varela canned two free throws for GBC with 18 ticks left to push GBC ahead, 67-66, and they held on in the frantic final seconds as the Mavericks missed potential four game-winning shots. Rory Ciszowski’s 20 points led the previously winless Lightning to their first success of the season, negating strong games from Mercy stars Katie Wall (23 points) and Jaclyn Stanavich (20 points).

On the same afternoon, Post knocked off Southern New Hampshire at the Drubner Center, 57-51, handing head coach Courtney Burns, a former SNHU assistant coach, her first signature win at Post. Maya Klein (14 points), Taina Pagan (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Naj White (12 points) all played key roles for the Eagles, who rode a 9-3 spree to take the lead for good (46-40) midway through the fourth quarter. Adriana Timberlake (16 points, 7 boards and 7 assists but also a 2-16 3FG effort) topped the SNHU scoring list, but they were unable to bounce back once Post went ahead in the final frame.

Ok, so four undefeated teams went down, leaving the region with three. How did they fare?

The most notable unbeaten outfit in the region is Jefferson (ranked 8^th this week), who won a top-25 showdown over then-#6 West Chester (now 4-1) a few days ago, 75-63. The Rams may have the best starting five in the region, all of whom scored double digits in the victory over WCU, with the potent trio of Haley Meinel (19 points, 5 assists), Sam Yencha (16 points, 12 boards) and Morgan Robinson (12 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists) all shining. This felt like a statement win for the Rams (7-0), who have won each game bar one (a 68-62 win at Kutztown) by double digits. With continued success, Tom Shirley’s team may threaten the program’s best-ever WBCA ranking of 3^rd, achieved in early February of 2019.

Speaking of impressive starts, let’s recognize the University of the District of Columbia. The Firebirds sport a 6-0 mark, having held opponents to 60 points or less in five of their six wins. Their only really close game was a 64-60 decision at Chestnut Hill, and they picked up a come-from-behind 69-58 win over Southern Connecticut on Sunday with five players in double figures. Tori Williams (18.7 ppg), racked up 29 points and 10 boards to orchestrate the latest win, continuing her excellent season.

Defense and game management are the key elements for 5-0 Pace, who smothered St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday, 51-40. Four of the five Setter wins have come by seven points or less, so Carrie Seymour’s unit knows how to win the close ones. Tower Lorde (13 points, 14 caroms) was the top option in the win at STAC, doing the job at both ends of the floor. Pace concedes less than 55 points a game, so scoring against them is a difficult task and will keep them in good stead as the season rolls along.

Looking to the road ahead for speedbumps? Well, Jefferson goes across town to Chestnut Hill for a CACC clash on Saturday and heads to Millersville on Monday for a non-league game. UDC dives into ECC play with a trip to Queens tonight and a home game against Molloy on Saturday while Pace hosts Adelphi tonight and visits St. Michael’s on Saturday in a pair of NE10 games. Let’s see how long the region sports three undefeated teams…

I’m not the biggest fan of national polls at this level, primarily because they’re like comparing apples and oranges. How can one compare teams from the East to, say, teams from the Midwest? Common opponents and cross-over matchups are thin on the ground, so it becomes an exercise in public relations and brand names. Nonetheless, it does at least reflect who is playing well at any given time and might tell us something from a macro viewpoint.

The Division II national poll began in 1982-’83, with the NCAA regional chairs voting weekly after the new year to create a national top 20. The WBCA took over poll duties prior to the 1995-’96 season and expanded it to a top 25 (as well as starting earlier in the season), which is where it is now. There is also a Division II national media poll, created almost a decade ago, but the WBCA poll (voted by the coaches) is the primary one, and the one I will always reference.

Last week the region had two teams in the top 10 (Assumption #4 and Bentley #8, as noted above) and both lost in the same week, which led to both vacating the top 10. That got me thinking about the history of this region (New England/Northeast/East as its lineage).

Did you know that four different programs have enjoyed #1 national ranking status while representing this region? Bentley has enjoyed 20 different weeks at #1, including every one during their historic undefeated season of 2013-’14. The Falcons also hold the national D2 record for most weeks ranked in the top 20/25 (339) and are second in weeks in the top 10 (201) and second in weeks in the top 5 (121). Whew!

Sorry for the digression. The College of Saint Rose, Southern Connecticut and Franklin Pierce have also spent time as the #1 team in the nation, the Owls doing so after winning the 2007 national championship. New Haven, the 1987 national champ, wasn’t ranked #1 at any point that year or the next – particularly relevant since the NCAA did not do a post-season poll reflecting the tournament in the early years. Ah, the vagaries of the poll system.

Quiz answers…

January 12, 2005 – (6) Bentley; (8) AIC; and (10) Merrimack.

Pre-Season 2008-’09 – (4) Franklin Pierce; (8) Stonehill; and (10) Holy Family.

March 12, 2013 – (3) Bentley; (6) Holy Family; and (10) Dowling (Stonehill was not far off, ranked 12^th that week).

How did you do?

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