2006-2007 Headlines

Lady Jackets Fall from NCAA Poll (2/14/07)

BILLINGS, MT – After losing four of the last five games, the Montana State-Billings women’s basketball team fell out of the top 10 in the NCAA South Central Region poll this week.  The Yellowjackets had been ranked for three straight weeks (10th, 5th, and 9th).

Missouri Western State held onto the top spot in this week’s poll, followed closely by West Texas A&M and Washburn.  The top four teams in the NCAA South Central Region are all ranked in the top 10 in the nation by the WBCA.  Missouri Western is the second-ranked team in the country.  Washburn is ranked third in the nation, West Texas A&M is eighth, and Emporia State is ninth.

The NCAA regional polls help determine the participants in the NCAA Division II Tournament.  The top eight teams in each of the NCAA’s eight regions receive invitations to the Big Dance.  In the South Central Region, conference champions from the Heartland Conference, Lone Star Conference, and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association receive automatic bids to the regional tournament.  The Heartland’s automatic qualifier will be determined at the conference tournament March 2 and 3 in Denton, TX.  Most likely, the Heartland champion will supplant the eighth-ranked team in the region for one of the eight spots at the NCAA Regional.

The Yellowjackets have three games remaining in the regular season.  They host Texas-Permian Basin in a non-conference game on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Alterowitz Gym.  It will be Senior Night for Michelle Lieber and Jennifer Skrifvars.  They close the regular season on the road with a non-conference game at Texas A&M-International and the regular season conference finale at St. Edward’s.  A win at St. Edward’s would lock up at least a share of the regular season title and the top seed in the Heartland Conference Tournament.

NCAA South Central Region (DII Record/In-Region Record)
1. Missouri Western State (21-1/18-1)
2. West Texas A&M (21-3/16-1)
3. Washburn (19-2/16-2)
4. Emporia State (14-5/12-3)
5. Texas A&M-Commerce (15-6/13-5)
6. Northwest Missouri State (12-8/10-6)
7. Angelo State (13-9/13-7)
8. Tarleton State (12-7/11-7)
9. Southeastern Oklahoma State (17-6/15-6)
10. Central Oklahoma (10-8/10-7)