Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh sixth in preseason poll
10/28/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bethlehem, PA – With the season just three weeks away, Lehigh has been picked to finish sixth in a preseason poll of Patriot League head coaches and sports information directors. The voters predict that Holy Cross will capture its eighth straight Patriot League title.
The Mountain Hawks have plenty of reason for excitement as the 2003-04 season approaches. Lehigh returns 11 letterwinners from last year’s squad – a team that set a school record for Patriot League wins for the second year in a row. The Mountain Hawks, who were third in the league during last year’s regular season, have finished in the top half of the league standings in each of the last five seasons. This year’s team will be led in the paint by the duo of senior Jana Ransom and junior Jessica DePalo. Ransom almost nine points and five rebounds per game a season ago, while DePalo notched nearly nine points per contest as well, while pacing the team in blocked shots. On the perimeter, sophomore point guard Dawn Gorynski will run the offense when healthy. Last year, Gorynski led the Patriot League in assist-to-turnover ratio in being named the league’s Rookie of the Year. A torn ACL sidelined Gorynski for the Patriot League Tournament in 2003. Lehigh opens its season on November 21 when the Mountain Hawks host Duquesne at Stabler Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30. 2003-04 Patriot League Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll Team (First Place Votes) Points 2002-03 League Record Holy Cross (14) 98 13-1 American (1) 84 10-4 Navy (1) 59 6-8 Colgate 56 4-10 Army 46 5-9 Lehigh 45 9-5 Bucknell 44 7-7 Lafayette 16 2-12
