Tuesday, February 9, 2010

MORAVIAN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM CLIMBS INTO TOP TEN IN LATEST D3HOOPS.COM TOP 25 POLL

MINNEAPOLIS, MN --- The Moravian College women’s basketball team, which is 18-2 overall, moved up two spots to tenth in the nation in the tenth D3hoop.com Top 25 Poll of the season announced Tuesday despite the Greyhounds having all of their contests last weekend postponed by the weather.  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 12th in last week’s poll, 13th in week eight, 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 355 points this week after 343 points last week, 295 points in the eighth poll, 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 tenth place ranking is the highest for the Greyhounds in the D3hoops.com era that began in 1999-2000.  Moravian’s previous highest ranking was 12th in the second week of the 2005-06 season when the Greyhounds started the season 7-0, and matched last week. 

Amherst College moved into the top spot this week with 616 total points and 20 first-place votes while Kean University is second with 592 points and three first place votes.  Illinois Wesleyan University is third and received one first place vote and 569 points while Hope College is fourth with the final first place vote and 556 points.

Moravian defeated now 14th-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 18th-ranked Muhlenberg College on December 7th.

Moravian will return to action on Friday, February 12th in a Landmark Conference game versus Juniata College tipping off at 5:30 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, February 16th.