Women's Basketball Selected Seventh in Preseason Poll

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The University of Maine women's basketball team has been selected to finish seventh in the 2012-13 America East Preseason Poll as announced Tuesday afternoon at the annual America East Preseason Media Day held at Albany's SEFCU Arena. The Black Bears received 17 total votes in the poll.

Defending America East Champion Albany was selected as the preseason favorite as the Great Danes received 61 total votes and five first-place tallies. Last season's regular season champion Boston University Terriers were selected to finish second with 56 votes and a pair of first place votes. Hartford also received two first place votes and a total of 54 points as the Hawks were selected third. New Hampshire and Vermont each received 37 votes in a tie for fourth while UMBC was picked sixth with 34 votes. The Black Bears followed UMBC with 17 votes as Binghamton (16) and Stony Brook (12) rounded out the nine team field.

The Black Bears return five players from a 2011-12 squad which went 8-23 and 4-12 in league play, doubling both their overall and conference victories from the season before. Maine also won its first postseason game since 2006 as it defeated Stony Brook in the opening round of the America East Championship. The 2012-13 Black Bears will have some new faces as they welcome nine freshman to this season's squad. Junior guard Ashleigh Roberts (Wilmington, Del.) is the Black Bears top returning scorer as she averaged 7.2 points per game a year ago. Maine also returns its lone senior Corinne Wellington (Rochester, N.Y.) (4.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG), junior Ali Nalivaika (Worcester, Mass.) and sophomore's Courtney Anderson (Greene, Maine) (4.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.8 APG) and Danielle Walczak (Lee, N.H.) (5.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG).

Maine opens the 2012-13 season with an exhibition contest on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. with the regular season tipping off on Friday, Nov. 9 when the Black Bears travel to take part in the NC State Tournament, facing Auburn on day one at 2 p.m.

2012-13 America East Preseason Poll

1. Albany (5)...............61

2. Boston Univ. (2).......56

3. Hartford (2).............54

T4. New Hampshire......37

T4. Vermont................37

6. UMBC.....................34

7. Maine.....................17

8. Binghamton............16

9. Stony Brook............15

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