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Sports News: Winter 2008-09
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM MOVES UP FOUR SPOTS TO 14TH IN LATEST
USA TODAY
/ESPN DIVISION III TOP 25 COACHES’ POLL

LILBURN, GA --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which has a 10-1 overall record, has moved up four spots to 14th in the nation in the sixth USA Today/ESPN Division III Top 25 Coaches’ Poll of the season 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 22-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, received votes in the second poll of the season before moving into 23rd in the third poll and then up to 20th on December 16th.  Moravian moved up to 18th last week.  The last time Moravian was nationally ranked by the WBCA was during the 2005-06 season when the team reached the NCAA Division III National Tournament. 

Moravian, which is 3-0 in Landmark Conference action, received 105 points in the poll this week, up 32 points from the previous poll.  The Greyhounds had 73 points last week, 65 points when they were 20th, 32 points when they were ranked 23rd and just two points in the second week.

Illinois Wesleyan University and The University of Rochester are tied for first with 212 points.  Illinois Wesleyan had three of the nine first-place votes while the Yellow Jackets received the other six top votes.

Moravian’s only loss of the season is an 80-58 setback at Rochester on November 22nd.  The Greyhounds defeated 19th-ranked DeSales University, 67-63 on November 25th in Johnston Hall, and Moravian defeated 23rd-ranked Muhlenberg College, 98-87, December 15th in Allentown.

Moravian will return to action on Wednesday, January 14th when the Greyhounds host Ursinus College in a non-conference game in Johnston Hall tipping off at 7:00 p.m.