Dec. 11, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

BRESCIA SWEEPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Brescia University swept the NAIA Division I Independent Basketball Player of the Week honors for the first awarding of the 2007-08 season, as Anthony McNeal won on the men's side, while Helen McKinney earned the honor in women's voting.

McNeal, a junior for the Bearcats, averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in a 1-1 week for the Bearcats last week, scoring 28 and grabbing 14 rebounds in 45 minutes against Indiana-Southeast, coming back with a 25-point, five rebound outing against Pikeville.

McKinney led the Brescia women to a 2-1 week, as the freshman averaged 15.7 points per game, scoring 25 in a loss to Columbia, followed by 12 and 10 against Morris and Voorhees, both Brescia wins.

MOUNTAIN STATE NO. 1 IN DIVISION I TOP 25
Mountain State University moved atop the NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Top 25 in its first regular-season release, climbing to the top spot after starting the year at No. 5 in the preseason poll. The Cougars are one of two teams receiving points in the poll, as Park University fell out of the Top 25, receiving 13 voting points and falling at No. 33. The move out of the Top 25 marks the first week that the Pirates have been unranked since last year's preseason poll.

For Mountain State, the Cougars are at No. 1 the poll for the first time since 2005. Both Park and Mountain State represented the NAIA in last season's Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, with the sixth-seeded Cougars falling in the first round to McKendree. Park made it to round two, where the seventh-seeded Pirates fell to No. 10 Azusa Pacific.

BRESCIA RECEIVES VOTES IN WOMEN'S POLL
Brescia University finished just outside the Top 25 in the first regular-season women's Top 25, earning 58 points to fall at No. 26, just behind No. 25 Olivet Nazarene, who earned 62 points in the poll. Brescia was in-and-out of the Top 25 poll last season, but the Bearcats managed to Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn., for the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament, where they upset Lee University in the first round before falling to Langston University in round two.