Lehigh University Athletics
DePalo named league's co-Preseason Player of the Year
10/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Bethlehem, PA - Lehigh senior forward Jessica DePalo was selected as Patriot League Co-Preseason Player of the Year on Friday, the day before the official start of practice. She shares the honor with Colgate senior guard Emily Braseth. The league also released its preseason poll, and Lehigh was picked to finish fourth. Ten-time regular-season champion Holy Cross was picked to finish first in the poll of the league’s head coaches and SIDs.
Coming off back-to-back nine win League seasons, the Mountain Hawks aim to pick up their first Patriot League title since 1996-97. Lehigh’s 9-5 record last season allowed the team to finish in the top half of the Patriot League for the sixth straight season. There’s no reason to think that the streak will stop as the Mountain Hawks have five senior leaders, including the All-League DePalo. She led the Patriot League and was 31st nationally in scoring with a 18.9 per game average in 2003-04. DePalo paced the Mountain Hawks in both points and rebounds per game, leading Lehigh in scoring in 20 of the team's games.
Other returning starters include guards Sara Ellis and Dawn Gorynski, who both averaged more than eight points per game last year. Co-captain Carli Toliver, who missed the entire 2003-04 season with a knee injury, also returns to the lineup.
Lehigh opens its season on November 19 at the Fifth Third Classic in
