2002-03 PRESEASON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POLL

Wheaton picked as the favorite CCIW women's basketball race

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE sent 11/01/02ROCK ISLAND, Illinois - Last year Millikin and Wheaton tied for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin women's basketball title with identical 12-2 league records. The Big Blue earned the automatic berth into the NCAA tournament based on the tiebreaker criteria, which went down to the third criteria - best road record in conference play.

In a vote of the coaches in the CCIW, the 2002-03 race is predicted to be just as close as last year. This time around, Wheaton gets the nod over Millikin by just six points. The Thunder garnered six first place votes en route to totaling 48 points while Millikin had 42 points and one first place vote. The other first place vote went to Carthage, which had 34 points in third place. Last year Carthage, Augustana and Illinois Wesleyan tied for third place in the CCIW standings with 8-6 conference records.

Illinois Wesleyan was picked for fourth with 31 points and Augustana was slotted for fifth with 28 points. North Central (21), North Park (13) and Elmhurst (7) were next in line.

The CCIW coaches all voted in this poll and they were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

* - Millikin and Wheaton finished in a tie for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin title with Millikin winning the automatic qualifying berth into the NCAA tournament based on better road record in league play.