Tuesday, February 7, 2006

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM RECEIVES VOTES IN D3HOOPS.COM
TENTH REGULAR SEASON TOP 25 POLL

STERLING, VA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which is off to a 17-4 start, dropped back into the receiving votes list of the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll tenth regular season poll announced Monday. The complete poll can be viewed at http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of 19-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, were ranked 19th in the preseason poll, 15th in the first regular season poll and 12th in the second poll of the year. Moravian was ranked 18th in the third and fourth polls prior to slipping to 20th. The team had moved back up to 17th in the sixth poll and 16th three weeks before a pair of losses dropped the squad from the rankings two weeks ago.

The Greyhounds returned to the top 25 last week at 19th before falling out again this week. Moravian received 59 points and is listed second among the 13 schools receiving votes outside of the top 25. Moravian has won 17 of its first 21 games of the year by an average of 11.3 points, and the team has begun its 2005-06 Commonwealth Conference season with an 8-2 mark.

The University of Southern Maine retained the top spot in the nation with 21 first-place votes and 620 points. The University of Scranton is second with 598 points and two first-place votes.

Moravian dropped a 67-62 decision to Scranton on Wednesday, December 7th in Johnston Hall. The Greyhounds defeated 12th-ranked Messiah College, 67-63, on January 25th in Johnston Hall, and Moravian is scheduled to play the Falcons in Grantham on February 11th. The Greyhounds’ loss that dropped them out of the poll was a 66-59 setback to rival Muhlenberg College, which debuted in the poll at 22nd this week after the victory.

Moravian will return to action in a Commonwealth Conference game versus Lebanon Valley College on Wednesday, February 8th in Johnston Hall at 8:00 p.m.