NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. - The NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Selection Committee released its first regional rankings for the 2008-09 season, and three Little East Conference institutions are featured in the eight-team Northeast Region. Eastern Connecticut State University leads the conference contingent at No. 5, while Western Connecticut State University and Keene State College follow suit at sixth and seventh, respectively.

The committee ranks the top six teams in each of the eight regions, except for the Northeast Region. The teams are ranked based on their results through Feb. 9, 2009. The second edition of the women's basketball regional rankings will be released on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Under the direction of Head Coach Denise Bierly, Eastern Connecticut is in the midst of a 10-game winning streak to raise the Warriors overall record to 19-2. Eastern Connecticut is currently ranked in the two most prominent Division III women's basketball publications (D3Hoops.com, #15; USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll, #20). The Warriors avenged their lone Little East loss this past weekend, edging the University of Southern Maine, 69-66, in Willimantic. Eastern Connecticut has faced three of the eight ranked-teams in the region, defeating conference rivals Owls and Colonials but falling to Tufts University. Senior center Ashley McFetridge (Canton, Conn.) is nearly averaging a double-double on the campaign, scoring 14.2 points and pulling in eight rebounds per game. The 2008 Little East Conference Player of the Year has posted eight double-doubles this season, including three-for-three against common opponents in the regional poll. The Warriors have four Little East games remaining on the schedule, including meetings with Western Connecticut and Keene State, prior to the start of the 2009 Little East Conference Championship Tournament on Feb. 24.

Kimberly Rybczyk has led the Colonials to victories in 16 of their past 17 games to boast an overall record of 17-3, including a 9-1 mark in the Little East. Western Connecticut continued success has translated into recognition among the national pollsters as the Colonials are receiving votes in the D3Hoops.com survey. Senior forward Stacey Roberts (Windham, Conn.) leads the charge offensively with 10.4 points per game and a team-high 38.5 percent (20-for-52) from behind the three-point arc. She has reached double figures in the scoring column in 12 of her 19 games, including a season-best 18 points against Connecticut College. Western Connecticut faces the iron of the Little East Conference down the stretch, facing the top four teams in the conference standings.       

Keene State College has already guaranteed the program's fifth consecutive season with at least 16 victories, boasting a 17-4 mark. The Owls are just five wins shy of matching the program's most successful season since joining the Little East Conference in 1998 in terms of victories. Head Coach Keith Boucher and his charges have won 12 of their past 14 games, including in season-best six-game winning streak from Dec. 13, 2008 and Jan. 13, 2009. Junior guard Kristen Degou (Newburyport, Mass.) leads two student-athletes in double figures in scoring with 13.4 points per game. A starter in all 21 games, Degou has reached double digits in the scoring column in 18 contests, while scoring at least 20 points twice. She pumped in a season-best 21 points, on eight of 13 from the field, at intra-state rival Plymouth State on Jan. 20. Each of the Owls' remaining four games are in the conference circuit, including back-to-back games at Western and Eastern Connecticut, respectively.