December 16, 2009

Release courtesy of Wes Frahm, MTU Director of Athletic Communications & Marketing

LILBURN, Ga. — Michigan Tech continues to hold down the nation’s top ranking in Division II women’s basketball. For the fourth regular season edition of the USA TODAY/ESPN Division II Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll, the Huskies are ranked No. 1. Tech received 22 of a possible 26 first place votes and 644 poll points to stay atop the poll.

Tech went 2-0 in action last week and won in contrasting styles. The Huskies led wire-to-wire in beating cross-canal rival Finlandia by a 100-38 score last Tuesday (Dec. 8) at the SDC Gym. They then had to overcome an 11-point second-half deficit at Northern Michigan last Saturday (Dec. 12) to pull out a 64-59 victory.

Michigan Tech, which was the preseason No. 1 team in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, is one of three ranked teams from the Midwest Region (No. 4 Indianapolis and No. 12 Quincy) and the only ranked GLIAC member.

The Huskies will play on the road this week looking for season sweeps of two GLIAC foes. Tech plays at Northwood Thursday (Dec. 17) and Wayne State Saturday (Dec. 19). It defeated both teams at the SDC Gym two weeks ago.

USA TODAY/ESPN Division II Coaches’ Poll

1. Michigan Technological University - 22 1 7-0 644
2. Franklin Pierce University (N.H.) - 2 2 7-0 572
3. Delta State University (Miss.) - 1 3 8-0 558
4. University of Indianapolis (Ind.) - 1 5 7-0 549
5. University of Alaska Anchorage 4 8-0 539
6. Gannon University (Pa.) 6 10-0 528
7. Fort Lewis College (Colo.) 7 11-1 446
8. Washburn University (Kan.) T11 7-0 398
9. Emporia State University (Kan.) 9 7-1 383
10. California University of Pennsylvania 10 6-1 376
11. Minnesota State University, Mankato T11 8-1 357
T12. Quincy University (Ill.) 16 10-0 299
T12. University of Tampa (Fla.) 15 9-0 299
14. University of California-San Diego 13 3-0 297
15. Clayton State University (Ga.) 8 4-1 293
16. West Texas A&M University 14 8-1 268
17. Francis Marion University (S.C.) 17 7-0 238
18. Johnson C. Smith University (N.C.) 18 8-1 187
19. Virginia State University 20 7-0 179
20. Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) 19 5-1 143
21. Lander University (S.C.) 23 6-0 140
22. Carson-Newman College (Tenn.) NR 9-0 102
23. Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.) 22 7-1 97
24. Arkansas Tech University 24 8-0 89
25. Southeastern Oklahoma State University 25 9-0 78

Dropped Out: Stonehill College (Mass.) - 34.

Others Receiving Votes: Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.) - 74; Millersville University of Pennsylvania - 57; Shaw University (N.C.) - 47; Tusculum College (Tenn.) - 38; Glenville State College (W.Va.) - 26; Fort Valley State University (Ga.) - 15; Indiana University of Pennsylvania -15; Minnesota State University, Moorhead -15; Assumption College (Mass.) - 13; Lynn University (Fla.) - 12; Bentley University (Mass.) - 11; Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) - 9; Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho) - 7; Tarleton State University (Texas) - 6; Augustana College (S.D.) - 4; Adams State College (Colo.) - 2; Newberry College (S.C.) - 2; Florida Southern College - 1; Grand Canyon University (Ariz.) - 1; University of Montevallo (Ala.) -1; University of Bridgeport (Conn.) - 1.

Michigan Tech Ranking by Week

Preseason 1
Nov. 24 1
Dec. 1 1
Dec. 8 1
Dec. 15 1