Feb. 23, 2005

ROMEOVILLE, Ill.-- - After spending the past two weeks ranked No. 10 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region women's basketball poll, Lewis University has leapt to No. 7 following its wins over conference and regional foes Bellarmine and Northern Kentucky.

The Flyers (16-9, 13-5 Great Lakes Valley Conference) have won six straight games and nine of their last 10 to vault themselves into third place in the conference and seventh in the regional rankings.

Grand Valley State is the top-ranked team in the region followed by Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Quincy and Wisconsin-Parkside. Indianapolis is No. 6, while Bellarmine, Ashland and Northern Kentucky round out the top 10.

The top eight teams in the region qualify for the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament with the top seed hosting the tournament.

Lewis finishes out its regular season this week with road games against Saint Joseph's (February 24, 5:30 p.m.) and Wisconsin-Parkside (Feb. 26, 1 p.m.). The Flyers can clinch third place in the conference with a win over Saint Joseph's (4-21, 3-15 GLVC). A win over Wisconsin-Parkside (20-9, 14-5 GLVC) would clinch second place for Lewis.

The Flyers need one win in their final two regular-season games to surpass their overall and conference win totals from all of last year.