Tuesday, October 18, 2005

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM RANKED 17TH IN WOMEN’S DIII NEWS PRESEASON TOP 25 POLL

BEAVERTON, OR --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which returns four starters and nine letterwinners, has been ranked 17th in the Women’s DIII News Preseason Top 25 Poll announced by the monthly publication this week.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of 19-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, posted a 24-6 record last season while hosting the championship games of the Commonwealth Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Southern Championship Tournaments. Moravian returns seven players returning who played more that 14 minutes per game and nearly all of its scoring and rebounding from last year.

The University of Southern Maine was selected as the top team in the top 25 poll followed by Randolph-Macon College, Millikin University, Baldwin-Wallace College and the University of Scranton to round out the top five. The second five includes Bowdoin College, Washington University in St. Louis, Capital University, Albion College and Springfield College.

Teams 11 through 20 are Buena Vista (IA) University, Wilmington College, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Washington & Jefferson College, Salem State College, New York University, Moravian, George Fox University, Hope College and Emmanuel College.

Rounding out the Top 25 are Chapman University, McDaniel College, Maryville (TN) College, the University of Mary Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Moravian and Scranton are slated to play on Wednesday, December 7th in Johnston Hall and the Greyhounds have the possibility of playing Dickinson College, which received votes in the poll, in the season opening tournament in Carlisle. Moravian will also scrimmage The College of New Jersey, which also received votes in the poll.

The Greyhounds will be led on the court by senior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS), who was selected as an Honorable Mention Preseason All-American by Women’s DIII News.

Seaman led the Greyhounds in points and rebounds with 13.7 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. She also had 50 assists, 40 steals and 22 blocked shots. Junior forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS) was second in scoring contributed 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game to go along with 48 assists, 30 steals, and a team high 47 blocks.

Junior forward Kelly Applegate (Easton, PA/Wilson HS) contributed 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 17 blocks, 19 steals, and 24 assists last year. Junior guard Rachel Berlin (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom HS) added 7.6 points per game, 66 rebounds, 16 three-pointers, 32 steals, 22 assists and two blocked shots. Junior guard Katie Rizman (Wall, NJ/St. Rose HS) added 8.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, along with 17 blocks. She led the team with 39 three-pointers a year ago and was second with 50 steals and 76 assists.

Senior guard Nicole Savino (Macungie, PA/Brandywine Heights HS) scored 5.3 points per game and had 72 rebounds, 16 assists, 23 steals, three blocks and 14 three pointers. Senior forward Lindsay Brase (Bethlehem, PA/Notre Dame HS) contributed 69 points, 40 rebounds, 14 assists, 13 steals, and four blocked shots, while sophomore guard Sara Steinman (Springfield, NJ/Jonathon Dayton HS) added 87 points, 22 rebounds, 35 assists, 13 steals, and 17 three-pointers in her debut season. Senior guard Dianna DeFiore (Hammonton, NJ/St. Joseph HS) put up 65 points, 23 boards, 19 assists, and nine steals while senior forward Heather MacDonald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Valley HS) had 59 points, 47 rebounds, eight assists nine steals, and six blocked shots.

Sophomore guard LaToya Blake (Allentown, PA/Dieruff HS) added 22 points, 43 rebounds, nine assists, 17 steals, and two blocked shots, while sophomore guard Megan Kocon (Bethlehem, PA/Liberty HS) had nine points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Tina Moll (Kintnersville, PA/Palisades HS) had six points, five rebounds, and one steal.

Moravian will begin the 2005-06 season on Saturday, November 19th versus Goucher College in the first round of the Dickinson College Tip-Off Tournament at 8:00 p.m.