Tuesday, January 31, 2006

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM MOVES UP FIVE SPOTS TO 19TH IN
EIGHTH USA TODAY/ESPN DIVISION III TOP 25 COACHES’ POLL

LILBURN, GA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which is off to a 15-3 start, moved up five spots to 19th in the nation in the eighth USA Today/ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches’ Poll announced Tuesday by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The complete poll can be viewed at http://www.wbca.org/DIIICoachesPoll.asp.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of 19-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, received votes in the coaches’ preseason poll but were not ranked in the Top 25 before debuting at 21st in the first regular season poll and moving up to 18th in the second poll. The Greyhounds dropped one spot to 19th in the third poll before moving back up to 18th a month ago. Moravian reached the 15th place three weeks ago before falling to 16th two weeks ago and 24th last week. Moravian has won 15 of its first 18 games of the year by an average of 12.6 points, and the team has begun its 2005-06 Commonwealth Conference season with a 6-2 mark.

The University of Southern Maine is the top team in the poll by receiving six first place votes and 196 points while the University of Scranton is second with 190 points.

Moravian suffered a 67-62 loss to Scranton on December 7th in Johnston Hall. The Greyhounds defeated 18th-ranked Messiah College, 67-63, in Johnston Hall on January 25th, and the two squads will square off again in Grantham on February 11th.

Moravian will return to action in a Commonwealth Conference game at Albright College on Tuesday, January 31st in Reading at 8:00 p.m.