USC AIKEN STAYS STEADY IN TOP 25 POLL
LADY PACERS RANKED 22nd HEADING INTO HOLIDAY BREAK
AIKEN, S.C.-- Picking up a 73-65 overtime win at Montevallo in their only action this week, the USC Aiken Lady Pacers (7-1) moved down one notch to 22nd in the fourth in-season edition of the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, released Tuesday afternoon. (PHOTO BY: Scott Webster)
After a nearly five-year absence from the national rankings (December 12, 2002), USC Aiken found their way into the Top 25 in week one of the season and have now appeared in four-straight polls.
North Dakota retained the top spot in the land for the third-straight week with an 11-0 record. Delta State, UC San Diego, Alaska Anchorage, and Indiana (Pa.) round out an unchanged top five. The only shift in the top 10 was seventh-ranked Valdosta State slipping to ninth place.
USC Aiken garnered 127 points this week, one more than the previous voting period, but sliding down one notch because of Minnesota State-Mankato’s 10-0 start moved them from 25th to 21st with 128 points.
In their only action of the week, the Lady Pacers picked up their first overtime road win in 24 years on Saturday at Montevallo. Freshman Nakia Pinkney hit a three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Junior Meredith Legg tied her career-high with 23 points while Morgan Johnson and Jordon Thomas combined to grab 31 rebounds.
USC Aiken, on break for the holidays, will next take the floor on January 2 in a game at previously nationally-ranked Shaw University at 5:00 PM. The last time a Lady Pacer team opened 7-1 was 2001-02. That squad began the year 12-1 and went on to a 22-6 record, winning the Peach Belt Conference Regular Season Championship.
USA TODAY/ESPN/WBCA Division II
Women’s Basketball Top 25 Coaches Poll
December 18, 2007--Poll #4
1. North Dakota (20)...........................11-0 596 1
2. Delta State (3)...................................8-0 571 2
3. UC San Diego...................................8-0 545 3
4. Alaska Anchorage (1).....................10-0 535 4
5. Indiana (Pa.)......................................9-1 486 5
6. Drury.................................................5-1 463 6
7. Washburn..........................................6-1 427 8
8. Concordia (Minn.)..............................8-0 425 9
9. Valdosta State....................................9-1 423 7
10. Southern Connecticut State.............8-2 386 10
11. Northern Kentucky...........................6-1 297 13
12. CSU-Chico.......................................6-2 295 12
13. Holy Family.......................................7-0 266 16
14. Emporia State...................................6-2 265 14
15. Seattle Pacific...................................5-0 234 18
16. Stonehill............................................9-1 210 15
17. Clayton State....................................5-3 200 11
18. Texas A&M-Commerce...................7-2 195 17
19. South Dakota..................................10-1 163 22
20. West Texas A&M.............................5-2 149 19
21. Minnesota State-Mankato..............10-0 128 25
22. USC Aiken.......................................7-1 127 21
23. Missouri Southern State...................8-0 124 24
24. Florida Tech.....................................6-1 115 20
25. Franklin Pierce.................................9-1 30 NR
Dropped Out: Shaw University.
Receiving Votes: Anderson 29, Ferris State 19, Shaw 18, Augustana (S.D.) 15, Assumption 12, West Georgia 9, Barry 8, Lander 7, Johnson C. Smith 5, North Georgia 5, Bryant 4, Fairmont State 3, Nebraska-Kearney 3, West Liberty State 3, Armstrong Atlantic State 2, Columbus State 1, Fayetteville State 1, Sonoma State 1