Lady Eagles match SAC’s highest in-season ranking moving to fourth in WBCA poll

Lady Eagles match SAC’s highest in-season ranking moving to fourth in WBCA poll
Posted: Jan 03, 2018

WBCA Coaches' Poll

LILBURN, Ga – Carson-Newman moved up to fourth in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll Wednesday afternoon to match the highest regular season ranking by a South Atlantic Conference school in the history of the league.

For two weeks in February 2000, Presbyterian was ranked fourth for a team that opened the year 19-0 and finished the season 28-2 winning the conference's regular season and tournament crowns.

Tusculum earned a No. 5 ranking in January 2009 and Lincoln Memorial was fifth for a week in late January and early February 2017. The Railsplitters set the league record for consecutive wins starting the season 20-0 a season ago. To begin the 2010-11 season, Tusculum was ranked third in the preseason poll before losing its first three games of the season to fall to No. 23 in the poll.

Mike Mincey's unit is one of seven remaining undefeated teams in the nation holding a flawless 14-0 record, more wins than any other Division II club – tied with Azuza Pacific (14-2).

It has been a steady rise for Mincey's club starting with a No. 19 ranking in the first poll released during the regular season on Nov. 21. Since that, Carson-Newman has been ranked 15th, eighth, sixth, fifth and now fourth. C-N was not receiving votes in the preseason poll.

According to the record book, the highest ranking the program has ever reached was third during its NAIA days. The school finished the year with the No. 3 ranking during a 27-8 season in 1981-82 and following a 32-3 campaign in 1984-85.

Ahead of the Lady Eagles in the poll is the reigning National Champions, Ashland, in the top spot. The Eagles next contest will be against 13th-ranked Michigan Tech on the road Thursday looking to run their winning streak to a nation-best 51 games.

West Texas A&M is ranked second in the country and Indiana (Pa.) slots into the third spot with 27 more points than Carson-Newman.

The Lady Eagles take their 14-0 record to the hardwood Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Catawba. Broadcast coverage starts on 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) and cneagles.com/live starting at 1:45 p.m. with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off" on the Eagle Sports Network.

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