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LANCASTER, PA - The Franklin & Marshall College women's basketball team is selected to finish seventh in the Centennial Conference championship race according to the head coaches and sports information directors in the annual preseason poll. The Diplomats, who missed a berth in the Centennial Conference playoffs in the final game of the 2005 season and finished with an 11-14 record, received 106 votes. Leading the way for F&M in 2006 will be All-America point guard Dana Johns (Sr., York, PA/Eastern York). A 2005 DIII News All-America fifth team selection, she was named the 2005 Centennial Conference Player of the Year, an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Southern Women’s Basketball first team all-star, an All-CC first team selection and was honored with D3hoops.com Women’s Basketball All-Mid-Atlantic Region second team honors. A 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America College Division All-District II women’s basketball second team selection, Johns concluded the 2005 season with 407 points, 101 rebounds, 85 assists, 84 steals and two blocked shots in 25 games. A .425 shooter from the floor (135-of-318), she is second all-time in single season three-point baskets as she connected on 56-of-138 (.406) to finish three treys short of the school record of 59-for-147 set by Carol Flinchbaugh in 1991. A 2004 & 2005 All-Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll recipient, she led the Conference in scoring (16.3 ppg) and ranks second in steals (3.36 spg), fourth in free throw percentage (.764), minutes played (34.08 pg), three point field goals (2.24 pg) and three point field goal percentage (.406), sixth in assists (3.40 apg) and seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.33). The February 14 Centennial Conference Player of the Week, she made history from beyond the arc at Swarthmore College on February 12 as she connected on eight-of-13 from the field, including six-of-nine from beyond the arc, and three-of-six at the free throw line for a game high 25 points. Overall, Johns connected on four consecutive three-pointers against the Garnet to mark the first time in recorded F&M women’s basketball history that a player drained four consecutive shots from beyond the arc. Further, she tied the school record for most three point field goals in a game for the second time during the 2005 season as she made six-of-eight in a 75-62 win over Lincoln in the Mayser Center on January 27. Historically, Dina White ’94 drained six-of-seven from long range to lead all scorers with 32 points in an 80-45 win over Haverford College on November 23, 1993 to set the record. Against Ursinus on February 5 at home in the Mayser Center, she connected on 11-of-17 from the field, including four-of-eight from beyond the arc, and five-of-seven at the free throw line for a game high 31 points as the Diplomats downed the Bears 71-62. Historically, Johns’ performance marked the 13th 30-point game in school history as she tied Laurie Baker for the 10th most points ever scored in a game as Baker registered 31 points in a win over Ursinus in 1975. For her career, Johns has 751 points, 216 rebounds, 230 assists, 191 steals, three blocked shots. In the history of women’s basketball at the College, she is tied for sixth in assists with White (230), ranks second in three point field goals (111) and three point field goal percentage (37.8, 111-of-294). At the top of the poll, defending champion McDaniel College is the preseason favorite in the Conference. The Green Terror received 12 of a possible 22 first place votes for 189 points, while Dickinson finished with five first place votes and 177 points and Johns Hopkins tallied five first place votes for 175 points to finish second and third, respectively. Gettysburg (127), Swarthmore (117), Muhlenberg (108), F&M, Ursinus (93), Washington (52), Haverford (46) and Bryn Mawr (20) round out the poll. Franklin & Marshall will open the season on Saturday, November 19 with Elmira College, Widener University and UMass-Dartmouth at home in the F&M Invitational. The Diplomats will tip-off the tournament at 1:00 p.m. versus Elmira before Widener and UMass-Dartmouth meet at 3:00 p.m. On Sunday, November 20, the consolation game will begin at 1:00 p.m. with the title tilt set for a 3:00 p.m. start time. 2006 Centennial Conference Preseason Women's Basketball Poll
1. McDaniel (12) 189
2. Dickinson (5) 177
3. Johns Hopkins (5) 175
4. Gettysburg 127
5. Swarthmore 117
6. Muhlenberg 108
7. Franklin & Marshall 106
8. Ursinus 93
9. Washington 52
10. Haverford 46
11. Bryn Mawr 20 (#) first-place votes
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