INDIANAPOLIS --- The Tusculum College women's basketball
team dropped one spot and is ranked fourth in this week's NCAA
Division II Southeast Region rankings announced officials
Wednesday.
The Pioneers (23-4) won their only game last week to claim a share
of the South Atlantic Conference championship, their second
straight league title in as many seasons. Tusculum is the top-seed
in this week's Food Lion SAC Tournament and will host No. 8 seed
Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday at Pioneer Arena.
Lenoir-Rhyne University is the top-ranked team in the region as
the Bears are 23-4 overall, including a 1-1 worksheet last week to
claim a share of the SAC title with Tusculum. Clayton State
University made the biggest jump in the poll as the Lakers moved to
second in this week's rankings. Francis Marion University, who
occupied the top spot for the last several weeks, dropped two spots
to third after dropping its final two regular season contests.
Tusculum is fourth, followed by USC Aiken, Carson-Newman College
and Barton College. Wingate University is eighth, followed by
Newberry College and Mount Olive College to round out the poll.
Three automatic berths to next week's NCAA Tournament will be
awarded to the tournament champions of the SAC, Peach Belt
Conference and Conference Carolinas this weekend. Five at-large
berths will also be awarded for the Southeast Regional. The
announcement of the NCAA Tournament field will be made Sunday night
on www.ncaa.com.
Tusculum is vying for its second straight NCAA II Tournament
appearance. The Pioneers advanced to the first round of last year's
South Atlantic Regional in Florence, S.C.
- NCAA -
NCAA II Women's Basketball Southeast Region
Poll
Rk. Team Prv.
1 Lenoir-Rhyne 2
2 Clayton State 4
3 Francis Marion 1
4 TUSCULUM 3
5 USC Aiken 6
6 Carson-Newman 5
7 Barton 8
8 Wingate NR
9 Newberry 9
10 Mount Olive NR