Yellowjackets No. 6, Lady Yellowjacket No. 7 in First West Region Polls
(December 20, 2002)

BILLINGS, MT – Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at MSU Billings were ranked in the top 10 this week in the season’s first regional polls.  The men’s team, which improved to 6-0 after Thursday’s win over the University of Charleston, opens at No. 6 in the region.  The Lady Yellowjackets, 6-2, are No. 7.

This year, the NCAA has added two teams to each regional tournament, with each region taking the top eight teams.  The MSU Billings men’s team can qualify for the tournament by either winning the Pacific West Conference title or by being ranked in the top eight.  The Lady Jackets will have to earn an at-large bid.  Both teams qualified for the NCAA West Region Tournament last season.

The Yellowjacket men’s team plays its next five games on the road, starting at Cal State-Los Angeles on December 28 and continuing at Cal Poly Pomona (Dec. 30), Chaminade (Jan. 4) and Hawaii-Hilo (Jan. 6 and 8).

The Lady Yellowjackets also have five road games over the holiday break.  They play at No. 3 Northwest Nazarene on Friday then at Western Oregon on December 27 and 28.  They will then play two games at a tournament in Hawaii on December 2 and 3 against Seattle and Alaska-Fairbanks.

Men’s West Region Poll
1. Humboldt State; 2. Alaska-Fairbanks; 3. Cal State-Bakersfield; 4. Hawaii-Hilo; 5. Seattle Pacific; 6. MSU Billings; 7. Seattle; 8. Central Washington; 9. Western Washington; 10. BYU-Hawaii.

Women’s West Region Poll
1. Seattle Pacific; 2. Cal State San Bernardino; 3. Northwest Nazarene; 4. Central Washington; 5. Sonoma State; 6. Grand Canyon; 7. Montana State-Billings; 8. Alaska Anchorage; 9. Cal State Chico; 10. San Francisco State.