Women's Basketball Tied for Third in Coaches' Poll, Adrianne Hagood Named Preseason All-NEC
10/22/2019 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The Sacred Heart women's basketball team is tied for third in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced Wednesday at the NEC Social Meida Day at Barclays Center. In addition, junior guard Adrianne Hagood was selected to the 2019-20 Preseason All-NEC Team.
All 11 NEC programs, including the newest member Merrimack, gathered at the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets for the conference's annual event broadcast live on ESPN3 and NEC Front Row. The broadcast featured interviews from the head coaches and a student-athlete from each team. The Pioneers were represented by head coach Jessica Mannetti and Hagood.
The defending conference champs Robert Morris was the unanimous selection at the top of the 2019 preseason poll, earning all 10 possible first place votes. Last season's runner-up and the 2018 NEC champion SFU was second place in the poll followed by SHU and Mount St. Mary's who tied for third. Bryant and St. Francis Brooklyn tied for fifth while Wagner, Long Island, Fairleigh Dickinson, Central Connecticut and Merrimack rounded out the poll.
W�� Preseason Poll Announced ‼️
— SHU Pioneers (@SHUBigRed) October 23, 2019
Coming off a 14-win season in league play ... @SacredHeartWBB is tied for 3⃣rd in the 2019-20 @NECsports Preseason Coaches' Poll ��#WeAreSHU | #NECWBB | #NECinNYC pic.twitter.com/NyHj8yuKDR
This marks the second straight season SHU earned third in the NEC preseason poll and it comes on the heels of a productive 2018-19 campaign in which the Pioneers went 19-13 overall and 14-4 in the NEC. Seeded second in the 2019 NEC Tournament, the Pioneers were bounced by SFU in the semifinal round but still got a taste of national postseason play as SHU earned the league's automatic bid into the WNIT. The WNIT berth marked the sixth national postseason tournament appearance for the Pioneers in the last nine seasons while SHU's 14 league wins last season was their most in a single-season since the 2014-15 campaign.
Signifcant losses came via graduation in the offseason for SHU as three All-NEC members of their 2018-19 starting lineup – Katherine Haines (First Team), Candice Leatherwood (Second Team) and Erin Storck (Third Team) – all played their final collegiate season last season. Seven newcomers (five first-years) join the Pioneers in 2019-20 along with eight returners led by Preseason All-NEC pick Hagood who is coming off a 2018-19 season in which she earned Third Team All-NEC honors.
⏲️ for @SacredHeartWBB to ��️@jmnetter33 & Adrianne Hagood talk all things SHU basketball at @NECsports Social Media Day ��#WeAreSHU | #NECWBB | #NECinNYC pic.twitter.com/vwK3ahdWq6
— SHU Pioneers (@SHUBigRed) October 23, 2019
Hagood finished the season averaging 11.2 points per game (13th in NEC) while she ranked inside the Top 15 of the league rankings in free throw shooting (71.6 percent), three-point percentage (34.1), three-pointers made per game (1.7) and minutes (31.3). Hagood ranked third on the team in scoring last season and is the highest-scoring active returning player for SHU in 2019-20. Her play picked up considerably in NEC competition as she posted double-digit point totals in 10-of-14 conference games (71.4 percent) and had at least one three-point make in all but one of her league game appearances last season. Hagood hit 39.0 percent of her three-point attempts in conference play (6th in NEC) and averaged 2.1 makes per game from behind the arc (5th NEC).
�� Preseason #NECelite status ��
— SHU Pioneers (@SHUBigRed) October 23, 2019
Adrianne Hagood earns the honor as she leads @SacredHeartWBB into the 2019-20 campaign ��
An All-NEC 3rd Team selection last season, Hagood is the leading returning scorer for SHU (11.2 PPG in 2018-19)#WeAreSHU | #NECWBB | #NECinNYC pic.twitter.com/FaRiBvYjI9
Joining Hagood in the backcourt is plenty of depth as senior Allyson Murphy (5.0 PPG, 1.1 SPG in 2018-19), juniors Jayla Davis (4.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and Olivia Dabney (6.2 PPG, 43.4 3FG%) along with Western Carolina transfer Nikki Johnson (5.0 PPG in 58 career games) gives Coach Mannetti plenty of options this season. Junior Abigail Kangudie gives the Pioneers rebounding along the interior while the host of seven newcomers (six eligible in 2019-20; Lafayette transfer Olivia Martino will be active in 2020-21) look to carve out a role this season.
The 2019-20 season kicks off in two weeks as the Pioneers travel to face BIG EAST foe Seton Hall on Wednesday, November 6 in Walsh Gymnasium at 7:00 PM. SHU's home opener is later that week on Sunday, November 10 against Hofstra.
2019-20 NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Robert Morris (10 first place votes - unanimous)
2. Saint Francis U
T3. Mount St. Mary's
T3. Sacred Heart
T5. Bryant
T5. St. Francis Brooklyn
7. Wagner
8. LIU
9. Fairleigh Dickinson
10. Central Connecticut State
11. Merrimack
⛹��♀️ Preseason Predicted Order-of-Finish ��
— Northeast Conference (@NECsports) October 23, 2019
����⚡️⛰❤️��������⚔️���� #NECWBB #ALLINBALLOUT pic.twitter.com/3KYOhspci5
2019-20 Preseason All-NEC Women's Basketball Team
Nneka Ezeigbo (Robert Morris) - Senior, Center
Adrianne Hagood (SHU) - Junior, Guard
Sydney Holloway (Bryant) - Senior, Guard/Forward
Jade Johnson (St. Francis Brooklyn) - Senior, Guard
Brandy Thomas (LIU) - Sophomore, Guard
Preseason ⛹��♀️ #NECelite Team ⬇️
— Northeast Conference (@NECsports) October 23, 2019
�� Nneka Ezeigbo, @RMUWBasketball
�� Adrianne Hagood, @SHUBigRed
�� Sydney Holloway, @Bryantwbball
�� Jade Johnson, @SFBKTerriers
�� Brandy Thomas, @LIUAthletics pic.twitter.com/FYaVQci8I6
