CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- The Tusculum University women's basketball team moved back into fifth place in the D2SIDA Division II Women's Basketball Southeast Region poll, released Monday through games of January 12.
The Pioneers (11-3) picked up road wins over Mars Hill (94-59) and Coker (75-63) to regain fifth place from Wingate (11-4), which dropped to eighth after losing 66-54 to Anderson and beating UVa-Wise 63-61 on a basket in the closing seconds.
The top four teams in the rankings remain unchanged from last week, with North Georgia (13-1), Catawba (12-1), Anderson (12-2) and Belmont Abbey (13-2) all earning a pair of conference victories. Lander (10-3) moved up with Tusculum one spot from seventh to sixth following wins over Augusta and Francis Marion, while Carson-Newman (10-4) jumped two positions to seventh after beating Lenoir-Rhyne and Queens.
Columbus State (9-2) slid from eighth to ninth despite double-digit wins over Georgia College and UNC Pembroke, while Limestone (12-5) took over tenth place after beating Emmanuel 63-50. Emmanuel and Mount Olive, which were tied for tenth last week, each dropped out of the rankings.
Voting in the D2SIDA poll is conducted by selected media relations directors representing the three conference in the Southeast Region – the South Atlantic Conference, Conference Carolinas and the Peach Belt Conference.
Tusculum, which is 1-3 against teams in this week's top 10, will face a pair of ranked opponents this week as the Pioneers visit Carson-Newman on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and host Wingate on Saturday at 2 p.m.
D2SIDA Women's Basketball Southeast Region Rankings through January 12 Rk Team (1st) W-L Pts LW 1. North Georgia (6) 13-1 60 1 2. Catawba 12-1 50 2 3. Anderson 12-2 48 3 4. Belmont Abbey 13-2 42 4 5. TUSCULUM 11-3 32 6 6. Lander 10-3 26 7 7. Carson-Newman 10-4 24 9 8. Wingate 11-4 20 5 9. Columbus State 9-2 13 8 10 Limestone 12-5 6 RV