SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Roger Williams University Women's Basketball team has been selected fourth in the Commonwealth Coast Conference Preseason Poll, as was announced Thursday. Voting was conducted by the nine CCC women's basketball head coaches last week.
 
Last year, the Roger Williams women's basketball team finished the season with a 13-13 record, and an impressive 11-5 conference mark. Over the course of the year, the team went on a hot streak, and won eight straight conference games, outscoring their opponents 465-378 including a game at Nichols where they held the Bison to 28 total points. The Hawks finished as the No. 4 seed in the CCC, but were upset by the No. 5 seed Curry in the CCC Quarterfinals.
 
This season, the Hawks will look to regain the dominant form they had in the 2017-18 season where they set a school record with 23 wins. The team loses only one senior from last season and brings back the rest of their squad, in addition to adding five newcomers to the team. Helping lead the charge for the 2019-20 campaign is senior guard Sam Leone (Ashland, Mass.). Last season, Leone was selected to the All-CCC First Team, averaging 11.3 points per game, and was ninth in the conference with 157 rebounds. In addition, she currently ranks third all-time in RWU history in three-point shooting percentage at .351.     
 
Western New England was tabbed to repeat the feat in 2019-20. The Golden Bears received 75 points in the poll, including four of a possible nine first place votes. Last year's CCC runner-up Endicott took second place in the poll with 70 points and three first place votes.
 
UNE ranked third in this year's voting and will try to regroup after seeing a run of six-straight conference titles snapped last year. The Nor'easters received 69 points in the poll and the final two first place votes. Roger Williams and Curry rounded out the top five with 56 and 39 points, respectively.
 
Gordon (34 points), Salve Regina (33), Nichols (19), and Wentworth (10) made up the lower half of the poll.
 
Tip off for CCC women's basketball teams is on Friday, Nov. 8 with three teams in non-conference action. The first league contest is on Saturday, Nov. 23 with Wentworth and UNE matching up. The top seven teams in the CCC standings at the end of the regular season will qualify for the 2020 CCC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The tournament will begin with three quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday, Feb. 26 with the No. 1 seed receiving a bye. The top seed and quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals on Thursday, Feb. 27. The semifinal winners with compete for the CCC Tournament crown on Saturday, Feb. 29 with the champion earning the conference's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
 
 
2019-20 CCC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
 

	Team	Points (First Place Votes)
1.	Western New England	75 (4)
2.	Endicott	70 (3)
3.	University of New England	69 (2)
4.	Roger Williams	56
5.	Curry	39
6.	Gordon	34
7.	Salve Regina	33
8.	Nichols	19
9.	Wentworth	10