Jan. 21, 2004

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Lewis University is the top-ranked team in this season's first NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region men's basketball poll and has climbed two places to No. 12 in the Division II national rankings.

A school-record 14-game winning streak has lifted Lewis to a 15-1 overall record, one game shy of tying the best start in school history established by the 1985-86 Flyers. Lewis is 9-0 and owns a two-game lead in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).

Indianapolis (15-2) of the GLVC is No. 2 in the region, and Michigan Tech (10-3) of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) is No. 3. Southern Indiana (13-3, GLVC) is No. 4, followed by Mercyhurst (12-5, GLIAC), Wayne State (10-6, GLIAC), Findlay (13-4, GLIAC), Gannon (14-3, GLIAC), Northern Kentucky (11-8, GLVC) and Grand Valley State (10-4, GLIAC).

The top eight teams in the region at season's end advance to the 64-team NCAA Division II Championship tournament.

Tarleton State (Texas) is ranked No. 1 in the nation, followed by Northwest Missouri State, Pfeiffer (N.C.), Christian Brothers (Tenn.), Florida Gulf Coast, Nebraska-Kearney, Humboldt State (Calif.), Metropolitan State (Colo.), Valdosta State (Ga.), Washburn (Kan.), South Dakota State and Lewis.

Other nationally ranked Great Lakes Region teams are Indianapolis (No. 13), Southern Indiana (No. 14), Findlay (No. 15) and Michigan Tech (No. 19).

The Flyers play at Bellarmine on Thursday and at Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday before returning for a three-game home stand. Missouri-St. Louis visits Neil Carey Arena Jan. 29 (7:30 p.m.), followed by Quincy Jan. 31 (3 p.m.) and Wisconsin-Parkside Feb. 7 (3 p.m.).