BOSTON - The Boston University women's basketball team finished a close second to defending-league champion Maine in the America East Pre-Season poll conducted by the league's head coaches.

Senior forward Adrienne Norris (Delafield, WI), who has led the Terriers in rebounding in each of the last three seasons, was named to the Pre-Season All-Conference Team.

The Black Bears, who went 17-1 in the conference and defeated the Terriers, 68-43, in the America East championship game on March 13, were picked first with 72 points and five of a possible nine first-place votes. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team. Maine, who graduated two-time America East Player of the Year Heather Ernest, did not have a representative on the Pre-Season All-Conference Team.

The Terriers, who reached the title game for the second consecutive season in 2003-04, trailed the Black Bears by just one point with 71 points and three first-place votes. B.U. returns two starters and seven letterwinners from the 2003-04 squad that posted a 19-11 overall record and a 12-6 mark in conference play. The Terrier program enters a new era this season as Kelly Greenberg becomes the sixth head coach in school history. Greenberg spent the last five seasons as the head coach of the University of Pennsylvania, leading the Quakers to two Ivy League titles and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

Hartford, led by Pre-Season All-Conference pick Erika Messam, followed in third with 64 points and one first-place vote. The Hawks return four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's team which finished with an 18-12 record.

Northeastern, paced by Pre-Season All-Conference selection Maralene Zwarich, was picked to finish fourth with 54 points. As the seventh seed, the Huskies reached the semifinals of the 2004 America East Tournament, losing to the third-seeded Terriers, 71-53.

Binghamton was picked to finish fifth with 50 points. The Bearcats, led by Pre-Season All-Conference pick Rachel Laws, posted a 17-10 record in 2003-04 but for the third consecutive year were ousted in their first game of the America East Tournament.

Albany, anchored by Pre-Season All-Conference selection Danielle Hutcheson, was picked to finish sixth with 47 points. Vermont was selected to finish seventh with 35 points, followed by New Hampshire in eighth with 29, Stony Brook in ninth with 18, and UMBC in tenth with 10.

Boston University opens its 2004-05 season in the WNIT Tournament at Saint Joseph's on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:00 p.m.