Tuesday, February 28, 2006
MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM RECEIVES VOTES IN 12th
USA TODAY/ESPN DIVISION III TOP 25 COACHES’ POLL
LILBURN, GA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which has a 21-6
record, received votes in the 12th 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
in the fourth poll. Moravian reached the 15th place in the fifth poll before falling to
16th sixth poll and 24th in the seventh poll.
The Greyhounds, who received three points this week in the poll which is ninth of the
schools also receiving votes, were 19th four weeks ago before falling to 25th three weeks
ago and to receiving votes the last two weeks. Moravian has won 21 of its 27 games of the
year by an average of 9.5 points, and the team had an 11-3 mark in Commonwealth Conference
regular season action.
The University of Southern Maine is the top team in the poll by receiving six first place
votes and 195 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 11th-ranked Messiah College, 67-63, in Johnston Hall on January 25th, and the
Falcons defeated Moravian, 69-55, on February 11th, and 75-52 in the Commonwealth Conference
Championship game on February 25th. Moravian also lost to rival Muhlenberg, ranked 16th
in the poll, 66-59, on February 2nd.
Moravian will return to action in an NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament
First Round game versus Greensboro (NC) College on Friday, March 3rd tipping off at 5:00
p.m. at Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. This is the Greyhounds’ sixth
trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament and first since 1992-93.
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