Kelsey Simonds and the Skyhawks have ascended to the No. 4 spot in the country.

Skyhawks Rise To No. 4 In The Country

Lilburn, Ga. -  Now in its 38th season of existence, the Stonehill women's basketball team has moved to its highest national ranking ever - No. 4 - in the most recent release of the ESPN USA/Today Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll.

The poll, which is released every week during the season by the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA), began at the beginning of the 1996-97 season - the year after Stonehill's trip to the Final Four.

"Obviously, it's great for the program and something our alums, fans and the Stonehill community can be excited about, but our main focus as a team is always on our next opponent," said head coach Trish Brown, the 2007-08 Northeast-10 coach of the year, who is in her eighth season at the helm.

The Skyhawks opened the season at No. 8 and quickly ascended to No. 5 after wins over preseason No. 4 Franklin Pierce and Shepherd, a team that ended the 2007-08 season ranked 25th in the country before losing their only game of the year to UMass-Lowell on the day that ranking was released.

The Skyhawks sit at 12-1 overall and 7-1 in the Northeast-10 and are preceded in the poll by Washburn University (Kan.), Alaska-Anchorage and the nation's No. 1 team, defending national champion, Northern Kentucky, who have won 17 straight games.

Stonehill is currently riding an eight-game winning streak and are led by a quartet of double figure scorers. Leading the way is junior All-America Kelsey Simonds (Middleboro, Mass.), who just went over the 1,000 point barrier, and is averaging 15.7 points and 9.8 rebounds. Bethany Tighe (North Easton, Mass.), the team's lone senior, drops in 14.3 points every time out and is one of the nation's best free throw shooters at 95 percent.

A pair of sophomores - Kristen McWhirter (Melvin, Village, N.H.) and Emily Rousseau (Biddeford, Maine) - have emerged as reliable scorers and playmakers in the first half of the season. McWhirter, a Northeast-10 All-Rookie selection in 2007-08, is one of the best all-around players in the league averaging 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. She is shooting 89 percent from the free throw line and has made ten straight and 23 of her last 24.

Rousseau meanwhile has been the catalyst down the stretch for Stonehill as they have rallied for back-to-back single digit victories. In those two contests, she is posting averages of 20 points, four rebounds and 5.5 assists.

The Skyhawks top the Northeast-10 in several categories including field goal percentage, free throw percentage (also first in the country), three-point percentage, assists and scoring margin and rank in the top five in nine other conference categories.

The ranking marks the 21st straight week in which Stonehill has been listed amongst the nation's elite, the longest current streak of any team in the Northeast-10.