MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM FALLS TO 23RD IN LATEST D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 POLL

MINNEAPOLIS, MN --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which has a 17-3 overall record, fell six spots to 23rd in the nation in the ninth D3hoop.com Top 25 Poll of the season announced late Monday.  The complete poll can be viewed at http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of 22-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, were ranked 17th last week after falling to 21st the previous week.  Moravian was as high as 14th two weeks ago.  Moravian was 18th in the first poll of 2009 on January 5th, and the Greyhounds were 21st in the poll released on December 23rd after receiving votes in the first three weeks of the season. 

Moravian, which is 7-2 in Landmark Conference action, received 73 points in the poll this week, 153 less points than last week.

Illinois Wesleyan University remained the top spot this week with 24 first place votes and 623 points while the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point moved up to second with the final first place vote and 581 points.

One of Moravian’s three losses this season is an 80-58 setback at third ranked The University of Rochester on November 22nd.  The Greyhounds defeated 14th-ranked DeSales University, 67-63 on November 25th in Johnston Hall with DeSales ranked ninth at the time of the game, and Moravian defeated then 14th-ranked Muhlenberg College, 98-87, December 15th in Allentown.  The Mules dropped out of the rankings again this week but are the top team receiving votes.  Moravian also has a 57-45 triumph over The University of Scranton, both of which received votes in this week’s poll.

Moravian will return to action on Saturday, February 7th when the Greyhounds travel to The United States Merchant Marine Academy for a Landmark Conference game at 5:30 p.m. in King’s Point, New York.

The D3hoops.com Top 25 poll is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly.