F&M Women's Basketball Ranks 27th in USA Today/WBCA National Poll

by Sports Information
2/12/02

LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College women's basketball team is ranked 27th in the February 12th USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division III Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Diplomats, who received 10 votes to tie with Marymount for the #27 spot, improved one spot from a #28 ranking last week to inch closer to the national Top 25. Washington University leads the poll with 200 votes, followed by Southern Maine (173), Hardin Simmons (170), Wilmington (169) and Bowdoin (154).

In the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region rankings, the Diplomats (17-4, 10-2 Centennial Conference) were selected seventh, one spot better than Alvernia College (17-3) and just behind Lebanon Valley College (17-3) following a 2-0 week in which F&M defeated Gettysburg (73-60) and Haverford College (74-45).

To date, F&M has been led by the trio of Amy Kreitz (Sr., Allentown, PA/Salisbury), Lauren Howanski (Sr., Gap, PA/Pequea Valley) and Amy Abernathy (So., Far Hills, NJ/American School Paris).

Abernathy leads the Conference in rebounding with an average of 12.3 boards per game, 1.8 better than runner-up Heather Kile of Swarthmore. In scoring, Abernathy ranks fifth with 15.8 points per contest, 0.2 behind fourth place Megan Shelly of Dickinson (16.0) and just off the pace of Kreitz (18.7) in third place.

Further, Abernathy leads the Conference in blocked shots (56) and offensive rebounds (118). She ranks second in defensive rebounding (141), 18 short of Swarthmore's Kile.

Through nineteen games, Abernathy has recorded a league leading 14 double-double performances against Waynesburg (23 points, 15 rebounds), Lycoming (21 points, 19 rebounds), Gwynedd Mercy (16 points, 13 rebounds), Western Maryland (16 points, 15 rebounds/21 points, 15 rebounds), Muhlenberg (16 points, 11 rebounds), Drew (12 points, 12 rebounds), Elizabethtown (19 points, 20 rebounds), Ursinus (10 points, 12 rebounds), Moravian (23 points, 10 rebounds), Dickinson (16 points, 13 rebounds), Johns Hopkins (20 points, 12 rebounds), Swarthmore (17 points, 17 rebounds) and Gettysburg (20 points, 16 rebounds).

A 2001 Women's Basketball Coach Association/Kodak and D3Hoops.com Women's Basketball Honorable Mention All-American, Kreitz ranks third in the Conference in steals per game with an average of 3.14 as she has swiped 66 passes in 21 games.

Classmate Howanski is the Conference runner-up in assists (4.29 apg) and leads in three-point field goal accuracy (41.4%). Overall, the Diplomats are ranked first in assists (17.00 apg) and three-point field goal percentage (34.5%) as they are outscoring opponents by an average of 15 points per game.

Due to the team's win at Gettysburg on February 6, and an 85-82 double overtime loss by Johns Hopkins University to Swarthmore College in Baltimore, the Diplomats now lead the CC West by one game over the Blue Jays and two over the #3 seed Western Maryland Green Terror.

If the Diplomats sweep the remainder of their Conference slate, they will win the Western Division #1 seed and home court advantage throughout the Centennial Conference playoffs.

To date, F&M has not lost since a 82-69 defeat at Western Maryland on December 4, 2001 as the Diplomats have overcome a 3-4 start to rank in the regional and national polls.

Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on February 13 on the road at Dickinson College, a team the Diplomats defeated 81-60 on January 19th in Lancaster. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m.

NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Poll (2/11/02)
1. Kings 16-2
2. Muhlenberg 18-2
3. Scranton 14-3
4. Messiah 16-2
5. Swarthmore 14-2
6. Lebanon Valley 17-3
7. Franklin & Marshall 17-4
8. Alvernia 17-3

USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA Division III Coaches' Poll
1. Washington University
2. Southern Maine
3. Hardin-Simmons
4. Wilmington
5. Bowdoin
6. Eastern Connecticut
7. Kings
8. Wisconsin-Stevens Point
9. Hope
10. DePauw
11. Emmanuel
12. Messiah
13. St. Benedict
14. Muhlenberg
15. Wisconsin-Stevens Point
16. Case Western Reserve
17. Pacific Lutheran
18. Webster
19. Scranton
20. St. Thomas
21. George Fox
22. Wisconsin-Eau Claire
23. New York University
24. Springfield
25. Wartburg
26. Carleton
27. Franklin & Marshall
27. Marymount
28. Franklin
29. St. Lawrence
30. Capital
31. Christopher Newport
32. Ithaca
33. Wheaton
34. Lake Forest
35. Salisbury