Monday, February 1, 2010

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM CLIMBS A SPOT TO 12TH IN LATEST D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 POLL

MINNEAPOLIS, MN --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which now has an 18-2 overall record, climbed up one spot to 12th in the nation in the ninth D3hoop.com Top 25 Poll of the season announced Monday.  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 ranked 13th in last week’s poll, 14th in week seven, 16th in week six, 18th in week five, 19th in week four, 17th in the third poll, 12th in the second poll and 23rd in the first regular season poll after being 15th in the preseason poll.  Moravian received 343 points this week after 295 points last week, 292 points in week seven, 253 points in week six, 198 points in week five, 184 points in the fourth poll, 149 points in week three, 313 points in week two and 107 points in the first poll. 

Moravian’s 12th place ranking matches the highest for the Greyhounds in the D3hoops.com era that began in 1999-2000.  The last time Moravian was ranked 12th was the second week of the 2005-06 season when the Greyhounds started the season 7-0. 

Amherst College moved into the top spot this week with 615 total points and 19 first-place votes while Kean University is second with 597 points and four first place votes.  Illinois Wesleyan University dropped to third after its first loss of the season but still received one first place vote and 556 points while Hope College is fourth with the final first place vote and 551 points.

Moravian defeated now 13th-ranked The University of Scranton, 73-63, on December 5th when Scranton was fourth in the nation, and the Greyhounds dropped an 84-71 decision to now 19th-ranked Muhlenberg College on December 7th.

Moravian will return to action on Friday, February 5th in a Landmark Conference game at The Catholic University of America tipping off at 5:30 p.m.

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, February 9th.