Skyhawk Women Crack WBCA Division II National Poll For First Time In Over Two Seasons, Stonehill Rated 25th In This Week's USA Today/ESPN Rankings
December 22, 2005
When the Skyhawk women's basketball team takes the floor on January 2nd for a Northeast-10 Conference outing at Merrimack, it will do so as a nationally-ranked team for the first time in over two years.
Stonehill cracked the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II national poll on Tuesday afternoon for the first time since March 2003, as the Skyhawks entered the national rankings at the #25 position in the country after receiving votes in the first two regular season polls of the season. Stonehill was last nationally ranked after advancing to the 2003 NCAA Division II "Sweet Sixteen" following a 22-win campaign in 2002-2003.
Stonehill is one of two Northeast-10 schools to be ranked in the WBCA Division II poll, as American International climbed to #16 in this week's rankings. However, Stonehill is the only Northeast-10 institution that can claim a pair of nationally-ranked hoop squads, as the Skyhawk men's team cracked the NABC Division II Top 25 as well on Tuesday for the first time in over eight years. Stonehill is the lone conference squad ranked on the men's side at the #24 position in the NABC poll.
The Skyhawk women, off to their best start in 11 years at 10-0 overall and 5-0 in Northeast-10 play, return to action on January 2nd at Merrimack.
USA TODAY ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES' POLL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Week Three Poll: December 20, 2005
USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 women's basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, last weeks rank, current record and total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.
Rank Institution (First Place Votes) Last Week's Rank Record Points
1. Washburn University (Kan.) (22) 1 9-0 598
2. University of North Dakota - Grand Forks (2) 3 12-0 567
3. Drury University (Mo.) 2 8-1 517
4. Emporia State University (Kan.) 5 10-0 515
5. University Of Charleston (W.Va.) 4 8-0 513
6. Saint Cloud State University (Minn.) 6 11-0 486
7. Western Washington University 7 5-0 460
8. Henderson State University (Ark.) 8 9-1 401
9. Glenville State College (W.Va.) 12 8-0 367
10. Grand Valley State University (Mich.) 9 8-2 326
11. Valdosta State University (Ga.) 13 8-1 308
12. California State University - Chico 11 6-1 302
13. Rollins College (Fla.) 16 9-0 295
14. Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) 10 5-2 273
15. West Texas A&M University 17 7-0 267
16. American International College (Mass.) 19 9-0 231
17. Lake Superior State University (Mich.) 14 6-2 207
18. Central Missouri State University 18 7-2 156
19. University Of Minnesota-Duluth 22 11-1 152
20. Florida Gulf Coast University 24 11-0 140
21. Carson-Newman College (Tenn.) 15 7-3 130
22. Angelo State University (Texas) 20 8-2 129
23. Fairmont State University (W.Va.) 21 7-1 91
24. Saint Augustine's College (N.C.) NR 7-0 65
25. Stonehill College (Mass.) NR 9-0 61
Dropped Out: Shaw University (N.C.), California University (Pa.)
Others Receiving Votes: Delta State University - 60; Clayton College & State University - 26; North Carolina Central University - 17; Shaw University - 17; Wheeling Jesuit University - 17; North Georgia College & State University - 16; Michigan Tech. University - 15; Missouri Western State - 14; Regis University - 14; California University Of PA - 12; Fort Valley State University - 11;Presbyterian College - 6; Southern Conn. St. University - 5; Pace University - 4; Wingate University - 4; Tusculum College - 2; Saint Michael's College - 1; University Of Central Arkansas - 1; Wayne State College - 1.