LILBURN, Ga. --- The Tusculum College women's basketball team is ranked 16th in the nation according to the latest edition of the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, after advancing to the championship game of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament this past weekend.

Tusculum (25-5) has won eight of its last 10 games to earn the second seed in the 2009 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, hosted by SAC Tournament champion Lenoir-Rhyne University this weekend in Hickory, N.C. This marks the Pioneers' second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, as well as TC's second No. 2 seeding in the regional.

The Pioneers enter the NCAA Tournament ranked among the top 10 schools in the nation in scoring offense, scoring margin, and assist to turnover ratio. Tusculum has also been a force on the glass over its last 10 games, hauling down over 47 rebounds per contest to climb to second in the conference with 41.7 boards per game this season.

Tusculum begins its run in the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships on Friday when the second-seeded Pioneers take on seventh-seeded Lander University (20-10) in the quarterfinal round of the Southeast Regional, hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne University. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Shuford Memorial Gym in Hickory, N.C.

- TC -

Rank Institution - First Place Votes
1. Northern Kentucky University (24)
2. University of Alaska-Anchorage
3. Hillsdale College (Mich.)
4. Minnesota State University-Mankato (1)
5. Seattle Pacific University (Wash.)
6. California University of Pennsylvania (1)
7. Fort Lewis College (Colo.)
8. Washburn University (Kan.)
9. Quincy University (Ill.)
10. University of California, San Diego
11. West Texas A&M University
12. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
13. Emporia State University (Kan.)
14. Franklin Pierce University (N.H.)
15. University of Central Oklahoma
16. Tusculum College (Tenn.)
17. Francis Marion University (S.C.)
18. Fort Valley State University (Ga.)
19. Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.)
20. University of District of Columbia
21. Saint Mary's University (Texas)
22. Michigan Technological University
23.. Rollins College (Fla.)
24. Delta State University (Miss.)
25. University of Tampa (Fla.)