Preseason poll ranks Mountain Hawks second

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League sports information directors and coaches have high hopes for the Lehigh women’s basketball team this season, as they voted the Mountain Hawks to finish second in the annual preseason poll on Tuesday.

Lehigh (83 points) received six first-place votes in the poll, just two shy of the eight earned by Holy Cross (90 points). American (75 points) was picked to finish third in the poll and received the only other two first-place votes.

The Mountain Hawks finished 2007-08 with an 18-13 record overall and a 9-5 Patriot League record, good enough for a third-place finish in the regular season. Lehigh advanced to the semi-finals of the Patriot League tournament before falling to Holy Cross last season.

The league also announced its preseason All-League team for 2008-09 on Tuesday, naming Lehigh junior guard Alex Ross to the elite squad. Ross joins Alex McGuire (Army), Cassie Consedine (Navy), Bethany O’Dell (Holy Cross) and Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year Briana McFadden (Holy Cross) as All-League honorees.

Ross set a new Lehigh single-season record by knocking down 78 three-pointers in 2007-08. Although she only started eight games last season, Ross led the team in scoring (10.8 per game) and was named a second team All-Patriot League player as a sophomore.

Last season’s Patriot League tournament champion Bucknell was selected to finish fifth in the preseason poll with 53 points, just behind Army in fourth place with 60 points. Lafayette (38 points), Navy (35 points) and Colgate (14 points) round out the last three spots in the rankings.

The Mountain Hawks open up the season at home on November 14, when the Penn Quakers come to Stabler Arena at 7 p.m.

2008-09 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

Team (# first place votes)	Points
1. Holy Cross (9)	90
2. LEHIGH	83
3. American(2)	75
4. Army	60
5. Bucknell	53
6. Lafayette	38
7. Navy	35
8. Colgate	14

Preseason All-League Team

Alex McGuire, Army (Sr., Guard)

Briana McFadden, Holy Cross (Jr., Guard)

Bethany O’Dell, Holy Cross (Jr., Guard)

Alex Ross, Lehigh (Jr., Guard)

Cassie Consedine, Navy (So., Center)

Preseason Player of the Year

Briana McFadden, Holy Cross

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Monmouth on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 62, to, 72

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #2 Holy Cross on March 15, 2026 , Loss , 70, to, 77

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus #1 Navy on March 12, 2026 , Win , 81, to, 76 , OT

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus #5 Loyola University Maryland on March 9, 2026 , Win , 68, to, 54

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus American on March 4, 2026 , Loss , 60, to, 62

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Bucknell on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 45, to, 57

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Boston University on February 21, 2026 , Win , 76, to, 61

Lehigh University Athletics

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