Women's Basketball Picked to Finish Seventh in NEC Preseason Coaches Poll

The Central Connecticut women's basketball team was selected to finished seventh in the Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Blue Devils return four starters from last seasons team which reached the NEC Tournament Semifinals. Long Island University was picked first in the poll.

Long Island University was tapped as the preseason favorite by the NEC's coaches. The Blackbird return four starters and ten letterwinners from a team that went 14-4 in NEC action a year ago. Long Island received six first place votes to beat out Robert Morris for the top spot.

Robert Morris earned three first places votes as the runner-up, while Sacred Heart finished thrid and was the only team in the top-five not to receive a first place vote. St. Francis (PA) was voted fourth and received a pair of first place votes and Monmouth received the final first place vote while being selected fifth.

Central Connecticut returns four starters from a team that went 8-10 in the NEC last season, but also made a run to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the second straight season. The Blue Devils return their top three scorers and rebounders in seniors Kerrianne Dugan, Leanne Crockett and Justina Udenze. Crockett enters the season third on CCSU's career three pointers list, Dugan is 15th on the career points list and Udenze will take over the top spot on the career blocked shots list with her fourth block of the 2010-11 season.

Central enter 2010-11 with a roster that Coach Beryl Piper believes will allow the Blue Devils to go nine or ten players deep every game.

The Blue Devils will open at home this season when they host the University of Hartford on November 12. The Blue Devils will play at home again the following Wednesday before hitting the road for five straight games.