MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM DEBUTS AT 23RD IN FIRST D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 POLL OF 2009-10

MINNEAPOLIS, MN --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which has a 4-1 overall record, is ranked 23rd in the nation in the first D3hoop.com Top 25 Poll of the season announced Tuesday.  The complete poll can be viewed at http://www.d3hoops.com/top25/.

The Greyhounds, under the direction of 23-year head coach Mary Beth Spirk, were 15th in the preseason poll.  Moravian received 107 points in the poll this week.

Illinois Wesleyan University is ranked first in the nation with 602 points and 14 first-place votes while Amherst College is ranked second with 584 total points and four first-place votes.  Hope (MI) College is third with 582 points and the remaining seven first-place votes.

Moravian’s only loss of the season is a 67-65 loss at Dickinson College, which received votes this week, and the Greyhounds have two wins over schools receiving votes, a 72-68 victory at The College of New Jersey, just four points outside of the Top 25, and a 51-48 win at DeSales University.

Moravian will return to action on Saturday, December 5th when the Greyhounds begin the 2009-10 Landmark Conference season at fourth-ranked The University of Scranton at 2:00 p.m.  Moravian’s next home game is scheduled for Monday, December 7th versus 16th-ranked Muhlenberg College at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall.

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.  The next poll will be on Tuesday, December 8th.