LOS ANGELES — After finishing second a year ago with its fifth straight 20-win season, the Saint Mary’s women’s basketball team was selected third in the 2016-17 West Coast Conference Preseason Poll with one first-place vote, and Stella Beck was named to the All-WCC Preseason Team, as announced Monday by the conference at the annual WCC Basketball Tip-Off event.
Saint Mary’s earned 66 points in the poll, just nine points behind 2015-16 regular season champion BYU (75 points, four first-place votes). Gonzaga was narrowly chosen as the conference favorite, earning 76 points with five first-place votes.