HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 29 -- The Trinity College women's basketball team, which finished the 1999-00 regular season with a 19-5 record, has earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship tournament and will host No. 8 Babson College on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The bid gives the Bantams six consecutive postseason appearances and three straight ECAC appearances. Trinity, coached by Maureen Pine (13th season), played in the quarterfinals finals of the ECAC tourney in 1998-99 and advanced to the semifinals in 1997-98.

The Trinity squad completed its 10th consecutive winning regular season while playing one of the toughest schedules in the New England region. Trinity won its first seven games before dropping three of five in mid-January. One of those losses came against NCAA-bound Wellesley College (78-62), while victories came against NCAA-bound Clark University and Babson. The Bantams rallied to win 10 of their last 12 contests, including triumphs over NCAA No. 1 seed Bates College (72-63), ECAC No. 2 seed Middlebury College (75-50), and ECAC No. 7 seed Western Connecticut State University (63-52, OT)

Senior forward Gretchen MacColl (Portland, OR) leads Trinity in scoring at 16.0 ppg and in rebounding with 10.3 per contest, while shooting 59.9 percent from the field (139-232). MacColl was an All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) First selection in 1997-98 and 1999-00.

MacColl and senior co-captains Caitlin Luz (Woburn, MA) and Megan Shutte (Allentown, PA) have been to the postseason every season of their Trinity careers. Luz, a forward, and Shutte, a guard, both started all 24 games this season. Luz is averaging 7.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Shutte, who was selected to the All-NESCAC Defensive Team this season, is scoring 4.2 pppg and has a team-high 85 assists.

Sophomore swing player Bridget Dullea (Longmeadow, MA) and junior guard Jackie Siscone (Hammonton, NJ) round out the starting lineup for the Bantams. Dullea is the team's second-leading scorer at 12.7 ppg and has a team-high 46 steals. Siscone is averaging 11.2 ppg and has made 59 three-pointers.

Babson posted a 16-10 record and advanced to the semifinal round of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference tournament. The Beavers finished the 1999 season with four victories in their last five games, including a win over Wellesley (47-

43). Freshman forward Ingrid Miller (East Lyme, CT) leads Babson in scoring at 9.1 ppg and rebounding with 6.3 per contest. Junior tri-captain guard Tracy Graham (Holden, MA) is averaging 7.1 ppg and has a team-high 62 assists.

The tournament field consists of eight teams, including three from the NESCAC. The four first-round games will be held on Wednesday and the semifinals and finals will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the site of the highest remaining seed after the first round this Saturday and Sunday.