Yellowjackets, Lady Jackets Both in First Regional Polls (Jan. 21, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT – Both basketball teams at Montana State-Billings found themselves in the first NCAA West Region polls released Wednesday, with the men’s team debuting at No. 10 and the women’s team at No. 9.  The weekly poll, which will be released each Wednesday through March 3, determines NCAA Tournament seeding.  To qualify for the tournament, a team must either win its conference championship or be ranked in the top eight in the region. 

The Yellowjackets men’s team has two avenues through which to qualify for the tournament.  They can either win the PacWest championship and earn the conference’s automatic bid, or they can be ranked in the region’s top eight and receive an at large bid.  The women’s team, on the other hand, must play for an at large bid since it does not currently belong to a conference. 

The last time the men’s team qualified for the tournament was 2002, when the Jackets won the PacWest title.  The women’s team has qualified with an at large bid in each of the last two seasons, earning the No. 3 seed last year en route to a regional semifinal appearance.

The Yellowjackets continue PacWest play this week at home, hosting Hawaii-Hilo on Thursday and Chaminade on Saturday.  Hawaii-Hilo was No. 6 in the first poll, and PacWest frontrunner BYU-Hawaii was No. 2.  Both UHH and BYUH qualified for the tournament last year.

The Lady Jackets play two huge games in Washington this week, facing St. Martin’s on Thursday and Northwest Nazarene on Friday.  St. Martin’s in ranked No. 10 in this week’s poll.  Winning both games would greatly boost the Jackets’ in region strength of schedule.

Men’s NCAA West Region Poll (through games of January 18, 2004)
1. Cal State-San Bernardino (12-1); 2. BYU-Hawaii (14-2); 3. Cal State-Bakersfield (11-2); 4. Humboldt State (14-3); 5. Alaska-Anchorage (12-4); 6. Hawaii-Hilo (11-3); 7. Cal Poly Pomona (9-4); 8. Western Washington (10-5); 9. Alaska-Fairbanks (9-5); 10. Montana State-Billings (9-4)

Women’s NCAA West Region Poll (through games of January 18, 2004)
1. Seattle Pacific (14-0); 2. Grand Canyon (10-3); 3. Western Washington (11-3); 4. Cal State-Bakersfield (10-3); 5. Cal Poly Pomona (9-4); 6. UC-San Diego (8-5); 7. Sonoma State (8-5); 8. San Francisco State (8-5); 9. Montana State-Billings (10-7); 10. St. Martin’s (7-6).