wbb preseason poll 22-23

Women's Basketball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Begins Quest for Third Straight PSAC Title Picked Second in PSAC West Preseason Poll

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference today announced its 2022-23 Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll, with the Gannon women's basketball team beginning its quest for a third straight PPSAC championship. The Golden Knights are picked to finish second in the PSAC West in the poll. Voting was conducted among the league's coaches.
 
California (Pa.) and Gannon finished one-two a year ago during the regular season, and that's how the Western Division preseason poll plays out. California (Pa.) received six first-place votes and is the preseason favorite, with Gannon picking up the other three votes. The two teams split the two regular season meetings, with Gannon winning its second straight PSAC title with a 59-47 win over the Vulcans in the PSAC Championship game. Gannon received the conference's automatic bid to the Atlantic Regional while Cal earned an at-large berth and finished at 25-6.   
 
Edinboro is picked to finish third in the division after ending the year at 14-11, while Indiana (Pa.) (21-9) and Seton Hill (21-11) are fourth and fifth, respectively. Pitt-Johnstown (13-16) is sixth, with Mercyhurst (9-19) seventh. Slippery Rock (12-16) and Clarion (5-22) round out the poll.
 
Eastern Division regular season champion Kutztown received eight first-place votes and is the choice to repeat in 2022-23. The Golden Bears were 26-7 a year ago and qualified for the Atlantic Regional, as did Shepherd. The Rams were 25-8 a year ago but are ninth in the year's poll after suffering massive losses.
 
The Eastern Division coaches voted Shippensburg (16-13) second in the division with Bloomsburg (18-11) third.
 
Gannon is looking to become the first team since Indiana (Pa.) to win three consecutive PSAC crowns. IUP did it from 2007-09. The Golden Knights were 24-7 a year ago, winning the PSAC championship before suffering a heart-breaking 93-89 loss to Shepherd in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Regional.
 
The Golden Knights are a veteran squad with nine players who are seniors or graduate students. It will not be easy to replace second-team All-PSAC West honoree Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) or Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion), who combined scored 2,125 points and pulled down 1,095 rebounds.
 
Cleve Wright, in his second stint as head coach, welcomes back plenty of experienced talent, led by Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North). A 5'10" redshirt senior, Pirosko was an honorable mention WBCA All-American along with earning first-team All-PSAC West accolades despite battling several injuries and ailments. She led a balanced team with 16.2 ppg. and was also the leading rebounder at 6.4 rpg. Pirosko led the PSAC in free throw percentage and ranked 13th in Division II at 87.7 percent (93-of-106). She shot 53.4 percent from the floor (173-of-324). She enters the season with 848 career points.
 
Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) is a do-everything performer at guard who saved her best basketball for the big moments. The 5'11" graduate student was named the MVP of the PSAC Tournament and was also named the PSAC Champion Scholar. Wright averaged 11.2 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. with a team-high 48 3-pointers in 133 attempts. The daughter of head coach Cleve Wright added 71 assists, 31 steals and 23 blocked shots.
 
Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) and Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) were the only players to start all 31 games. Dogan, a 6'0" graduate student, averaged 8.1 ppg. and 6.1 rpg. while Poling added 6.5 ppg. with 31 3-pointers. The 5'9" redshirt senior was forced to move to point guard midway through the season and ended up leading the Golden Knights in assist (105) and steals (57).
 
It's hoped that Poling will be able to return to a wing position with Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) returning. The 5'4" graduate student played in just 10 games before going down with a season-ending injury. She averaged 3.6 assists before the injury.
 
Wright has added three players to a group of nine returning letterwinners. Madison Demski (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria ), a former standout at nearby Villa Maria (now Cathedral Prep) transferred from Holy Cross. The 6'2" graduate student battled injuries at Holy Cross but played in 67 games for the Crusaders. She averaged 5.5 ppg, a year ago.
 
Freshmen Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) and Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) bring depth in the backcourt and frontcourt, respectively. Claxon is a 5'7" guard and Maibach a 6'2" forward.
 
Gannon opens the 2012-13 campaign with four straight home games, beginning with the Atlantic Region Challenge on Saturday, November 12 and Sunday, November 13. The Golden Knights host Notre Dame (Oh.) the first day and Salem the second. Notre Dame was 15-14 a year ago while Salem was 6-13.
 
That's followed by a November 16 date with D'Youville (15-12) and a November 20 game with Walsh. Walsh ended the year at 28-5, reaching the championship game of the Midwest Regional.
 
PSAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Eastern Division (# of 1st Place Votes)

1. Kutztown (8)
2. Shippensburg
3. Bloomsburg
4. West Chester
5. Lock Haven (1)
6. Millersville
7. Mansfield
8. East Stroudsburg
9. Shepherd
 
Western Division
1. California (Pa.) (6)
2. GANNON (3)
3. Edinboro
4. Indiana (Pa.)
5. Seton Hill
6. Pitt-Johnstown
7. Mercyhurst
8. Slippery Rock
9. Clarion
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Sydney Mitchell

#23 Sydney Mitchell

G
5' 11"
Senior
Tori Obenrader

#25 Tori Obenrader

P
5' 11"
Junior
Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

F
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

PG
5' 4"
Graduate Student
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

F
5' 10"
Fifth Year
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

G
5' 9"
Fifth Year
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

G
5' 11"
Graduate Student
Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Madison Demski

#25 Madison Demski

F
6' 2"
Graduate Student
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

F
6' 2"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sydney Mitchell

#23 Sydney Mitchell

5' 11"
Senior
G
Tori Obenrader

#25 Tori Obenrader

5' 11"
Junior
P
Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

6' 0"
Graduate Student
F
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

5' 4"
Graduate Student
PG
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

5' 10"
Fifth Year
F
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

5' 9"
Fifth Year
G
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

5' 11"
Graduate Student
G
Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Madison Demski

#25 Madison Demski

6' 2"
Graduate Student
F
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

6' 2"
Freshman
F