INDIANAPOLIS --- The Tusculum College Women's basketball team has climbed two spots and is ranked third in this week's NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region Poll. The No. 3 listing is the highest ever achieved by the Pioneers.

Tusculum enters Wednesday's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament quarterfinal with a 24-3 overall record and are riding a nine-game winning streak. The Pioneers have won their first-ever SAC Championship and are the top-seed in this year's tournament.

At the end of the season, the top eight teams in the region receive a berth to the NCAA II Tournament. The three conferences that comprise the South Atlantic Region (South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt Conference, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) each receive an automatic berth into the NCAA II Tournament, with five at-large berths being awarded. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced at the end of this weekend.

Clayton State is the new leader in the poll, followed by Augusta State, Tusculum, Wingate, Francis Marion, Shaw, Johnson C. Smith, Columbus State, USC Aiken and Lander.