CCC Preseason Poll Video
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Five-time defending Commonwealth Coast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Champion the University of New England was predicted to continue the streak in the 2017-18 CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Nor'easters earned seven of the 10 first place votes and 94 points for the top spot.
Voting was conducted by the 10 CCC women's basketball head coaches last week.
Roger Williams ranked second in the poll garnering 88 points and one first-place vote. The remaining two first place votes went to Endicott, which earned 83 points to claim the No. 3 spot in the poll.
Western New England finished fourth in the voting with 72 points, while Salve Regina rounded out the top five with 56 points.
Eastern Nazarene (48 points), Gordon (37), Curry (36), Nichols (24), and Wentworth (12) make up the bottom half the table in that order.
With the loss of just one senior from last year's team, the Wentworth Institute of Technology looks to be much-improved and return to the CCC Tournament after just missing out a season ago. Nine players return from last year's team, including senior Haley Sabino (Topsfield, Mass.) who averaged 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game and recorded four double-doubles on the season while sophomore Sam McGibbon (Pembroke, Mass.) enjoyed a freshman season which saw her average 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. A talented freshman class enters the mix this year and includes Stephanie Mini (Topsfield, Mass.).
The women's basketball season starts up on Wednesday, Nov. 15 with eight conference teams facing non-conference opponents. The Conference schedule begins on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The top eight teams in the 2017-18 regular-season conference standings will qualify for the CCC Tournament, which starts with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and concludes with the Conference Championship on Saturday, Feb. 24. The CCC Tournament Champion will earn the conference's automatic qualifier into the 2018 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.
2017-18 CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Team | Points (First Place Votes) | |
| 1. | Univ. of New England | 94 (7) |
| 2. | Roger Williams | 88 (1) |
| 3. | Endicott | 83 (2) |
| 4. | Western New England | 72 |
| 5. | Salve Regina | 56 |
| 6. | Eastern Nazarene | 48 |
| 7. | Gordon | 37 |
| 8. | Curry | 36 |
| 9. | Nichols | 24 |
| 10. | Wentworth | 12 |
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