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.