ATTLEBORO, Mass. - The Lesley University Lynx have been tabbed as the preseason favorite to capture the New England Collegiate Conference women's basketball championship, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the NECC's head women's basketball coaches.

Women's basketball is the only Winter NECC sport that all nine members sponsor.

Lesley (17-10, 14-2 NECC), the 2008-2009 NECC Women's Basketball champs, received three of the nine first-place votes in the 2009 NECC preseason poll. The Lynx are led by first-year head coach Lucia Robinson who will return four starting players including two NECC All-Conference members. Senior center Hailee Lowe, a 2008-09 NECC First Team All-Conference member, led the Lynx averaging 16.1 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game. Fellow returning starter and junior forward Kaitlyn Wechsler, a 2008-09 NECC Second Team All-Conference member, averaged 12.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game last season.

The Mariners of Mitchell College were picked as the runner-up receiving three first place votes with 69 total points. The Elms College Blazers earned the third place spot with 65 points as well as three first place votes. The Eagles of Daniel Webster College had 62 total points to earn the fourth spot, while the Becker College Hawks rounded out the top five with 43 points.

The Nighthawks of Newbury College and the Mountaineers of Southern Vermont finished sixth and seventh with 34 and 24 points respectively. Both Wildcats of Wheelock College and Bay Path College rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth place.

Teams received nine points for every first place vote received, eight points for second place votes, seven points for third place votes, down to one point for a last place vote. First place votes are shown in parentheses.

2009 NECC PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POLL
TEAM, POINTS (1st Place votes)
1-Lesley, 72 (3)
2-Mitchell, 69 (3)
3-Elms, 65 (3)
4-Daniel Webster, 62
5-Becker, 43
6-Newbury, 34
7- Southern Vermont, 24
8-Wheelock, 19
9-Bay Path, 17