INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. --- The Tusculum University women's basketball team is seventh in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, through games of Sunday, March 1.
The Pioneers split their two games in the final week of the regular season, winning 67-48 at Lincoln Memorial last Wednesday and losing 51-47 at Wingate on Saturday. Tusculum (20-7 vs. Division II opponents), which was sixth in last week's rankings, was passed by Carson-Newman (21-7), which moved up from seventh to fifth after earning wins over UVa-Wise (83-70) and Newberry (77-46) to conclude the regular season.
The only other movement in this week's rankings involved the other two South Atlantic Conference teams in the rankings. Anderson (24-4) moved up from fifth to fourth following wins over Catawba (71-56) and Lincoln Memorial (75-62), with Catawba (22-5) falling to sixth with the loss to Anderson and a 62-60 win over Lenoir-Rhyne.
Lander (23-5) continues to hold the top spot in the region rankings, with North Georgia (23-4) in second and Belmont Abbey (26-2) in third. Clayton State (19-8) remains eighth in the rankings, with Barton (22-5) and Columbus State (18-8) continuing to hold down positions nine and ten, respectively.
Tusculum has a 4-5 record against teams in the regional rankings, owning two wins over Carson-Newman and one apiece over Belmont Abbey and Clayton State, with two losses apiece to Anderson and Catawba and one to North Georgia.
The conference tournament champions of the South Atlantic Conference, Peach Belt Conference and Conference Carolinas will receive automatic berths in the eight-team Southeast Regional, which will begin March 13. Five at-large bids will be handed out to complete the field, which will be unveiled on Sunday, March 8.
Tusculum will play Carson-Newman in the semifinals of the Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Women's Basketball Championship tournament on Saturday, March 7 at 2:30 p.m. at Timmons Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Anderson and Catawba will meet in the other semifinal game, which will tip off at noon on Saturday. The winners will meet Sunday at 1 p.m. for the tournament championship and the automatic bid.
NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Southeast Region Rankings (Through games of March 1) Rk School DII W-L In-Region 1. Lander 23-5 23-5 2. North Georgia 23-4 23-4 3. Belmont Abbey 26-2 26-2 4. Anderson 24-4 24-4 5. Carson-Newman 21-7 21-7 6. Catawba 22-5 22-5 7. TUSCULUM 20-7 20-7 8. Clayton State 19-8 19-8 9. Barton 22-5 22-5 10 Columbus State 18-8 18-8
