IUP Climbs to No. 10
in the Nation in the USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll
See complete poll
under story
IUP has climbed six spots to No. 10 in the
nation in the first USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches’ poll of
the regular season. The poll is conducted by the Women’s Basketball
Coaches Association.
The ranking is the highest for the IUP women’s
basketball team since the 1999-00 squad won its first 16 games and was
ranked fourth in the country on January 26, 2000. The previous season,
IUP finished the season at No. 12 after winning 26 games and the East
Region championship.
The Crimson Hawks have been impressive in
winning their first five games of the season, including a three-game
sweep at Disney’s Division II Tip-Off Classic November 2-4 and capturing
both of their games at California’s Holiday Inn Classic November 17-18.
At the prestigious Disney tournament, IUP
defeated Assumption (76-65), Lander (94-91) and Upper Iowa (60-52).
All-America candidate Jahzinga Tracey was named the Most Outstanding
Player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Kierstin Filla.
At California, the Crimson Hawks downed
Charleston (67-53) and Salem International (71-30), with Tracey earning
a spot on the all-tournament team.
IUP is one of only three teams from the East
Region ranked in the current Top 25. Glenville State, which defeated
the Crimson Hawks in the region championship game last March, is No. 16
while Anderson is No. 25.
North Dakota retained the top spot and
received 24 of the 27 first place votes. Delta State got two first
place votes and is ranked second while Alaska Anchorage was the only
other school to receive a vote as the best team in the nation.
After a nearly two-week layoff, IUP resumes its season this weekend with
a pair of PSAC crossover games at Memorial Field House. The Crimson
Hawks host Bloomsburg on Saturday and Mansfield on Sunday, with both
games getting under way at 1 p.m.
| Rank |
Institution - First Place Votes |
Preseason Ranking
|
Record
|
Points
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| 1. |
University of North Dakota - 24 |
1
|
4-0
|
672
|
| 2. |
Delta State University (Miss.) - 2 |
5
|
4-0
|
628
|
| 3. |
Washburn University (Kan.) |
6
|
5-0
|
608
|
| 4. |
University Of California-San Diego |
10
|
5-0
|
556
|
| 5. |
University Of Alaska Anchorage - 1 |
14
|
4-0
|
491
|
| 6. |
Drury University (Mo.) |
9
|
2-0
|
489
|
| 7. |
Emporia State University (Kan.) |
3
|
3-1
|
485
|
| 8. |
California State University, Chico |
15
|
4-0
|
466
|
| 9. |
Bentley College (Mass.) |
T7
|
3-1
|
428
|
| 10. |
Indiana University Of Pennsylvania |
16
|
5-0
|
416
|
| 11. |
Southern Connecticut State University |
2
|
2-1
|
409
|
| 12. |
Clayton State University (Ga.) |
T7
|
3-1
|
320
|
| 13. |
Texas A&M University-Commerce |
12
|
4-1
|
319
|
| 14. |
Valdosta State University (Ga.) |
11
|
5-1
|
312
|
| 15. |
Northern Kentucky University |
18
|
2-0
|
265
|
| 16. |
Glenville State College (W. Va.) |
21
|
2-0
|
186
|
| T17. |
Florida Institute of Technology |
25
|
4-0
|
166
|
| T17. |
Shaw University (N.C.) |
13
|
4-1
|
166
|
| 19. |
Augustana College (S.D.) |
22
|
6-1
|
161
|
| 20. |
University Of South Carolina Aiken |
NR
|
3-0
|
159
|
| 21. |
West Texas A&M University |
4
|
2-2
|
148
|
| 22. |
University Of Nebraska - Kearney |
NR
|
3-0
|
136
|
| 23. |
Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.) |
NR
|
4-0
|
102
|
| 24. |
Holy Family University (Pa.) |
NR
|
4-0
|
98
|
| 25. |
Anderson University (S.C.) |
NR
|
3-0
|
83
|
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