Newton, Mass. – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference preseason poll was released on Monday afternoon separated by two divisions (North and South). The Lasell Women's Basketball team placed 5th in the South Division poll. In the North division, 18-time GNAC champion Emmanuel College took the top spot with nine first-place votes and 74 points while Albertus Magnus received 10 first-place votes and earning 88 points.
Last year, the Lasers finished with a 9-16 overall and 7-11 GNAC record under the first year of Head Coach Kelley Sundberg. Lasell made the GNAC postseason as the #9 seed and fell short in a 58-48 decision in the GNAC Quarterfinal matchup against Norwich University. Leading the Women's Basketball team this season is sophomore returner Juju Nealy (Fitchburg, Mass.) who averaged 13.9 points per game last season along with classmate Jasmine DePina (Providence, R.I.) who averaged 7.6 points per game and grabbed 9.3 rebounds per game including a game in which she currently holds the Single-Game Rebounding Record with 27 rebounds from a 85-70 overtime victory over Rivier last season. The Lasers are also looking for key contributions from returners such as sophomore Mia Sullivan-Sanders (Anaconda, Mt.), grad student Brooke Damboise (Bolton, Conn.), and senior Sheridan Blaha (Waltham, Mass.).
The Lasers open their season tomorrow night on the road against Wheaton and will have their first home game this Friday night against UMaine Fort Kent.
2022 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
NORTH DIVISION
1. Emmanuel (9) - 74
2. Saint Joseph's Maine (4) - 69
3. Rivier - 48
4. Norwich - 39
5. Colby-Sawyer - 26
6. Anna Maria - 17
SOUTH DIVISION
1. Albertus Magnus (10) - 88
2. Regis (2) - 76
3. Saint Joseph CT (1) - 68
4. Elms - 47
5. Lasell - 40
6. JWU - 31
7. Dean - 14