PINEVILLE - The Louisiana College women's basketball team is once again ranked in the nation following last week's road win over highly-regarded Texas-Dallas.
The Lady Cats, who have risen as high as No. 22 in the D3Hoops.com rankings this season remain just outside the top 25 in that poll - receiving the most votes of the non-ranked teams and becoming the de facto "No. 26" along the way - but have now cracked the top 25 in the USA Today ESPN Top 25 for the first time this season.
LC (15-2) checked in at No. 25 this week in a poll that is headed by a top five consisting of Amherst, Kean, Illinois Wesleyan, Hope College and George Fox.
The Lady Cats, currently the top team in the American Southwest Conference East Division, are at home for two games this week, facing Texas-Dallas in a rematch of the ASC East's top two teams on thursday at 5:30 p.m. before hosting the annual "Fill the Field House" and "Think Pink" events on Saturday at noon with a game against the University of the Ozarks.
There is no admission on "Fill the Field House" Day.
The extensive Week 9 USA Today ESPN Top 25 is as follows:
USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 women's basketball poll, with first-place votes noted on the right, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.
1 Amherst College (Mass.)
2 Kean University (N.J.)
3 Illinois Wesleyan University (Ill.)
4 Hope College (Mich.)
5 George Fox University (Ore.)
6 Washington University (Mo.)
7 William Paterson University (N.J.)
8 Marymount University (Va.)
9 Calvin College (Mich.)
10 Christopher Newport University (Va.)
11 Messiah College (Pa.)
T12 Moravian College (Pa.)
T12 Tufts University (Mass.)
14 Carthage College (Wis.)
15 Thomas More College (Ky.)
16 University of Scranton (Pa.)
17 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
T18 University of Puget Sound (Wash.)
T18 Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.)
20 Lebanon Valley College (Pa.)
21 Muhlenberg College (Pa.)
22 DePauw University (Ind.)
23 Bowdoin College (Maine)
24 University of Rochester (N.Y.)
25 Louisiana College
Dropped Out: Mount Union College (Ohio), University of Chicago (Ill.).
Others Receiving Votes: Simpson College (Iowa) - 11; Mount Union College (Ohio) - 5; University of Chicago (Ill.) - 4; University of Mary Washington (Va.) - 4; University of Wisconsin-River Falls - 4; State University of New York at Farmingdale - 3.
The USA TODAY ESPN board of coaches is made up of nine head coaches at Division III institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The 2009-10 board: Nan Carney-DeBord - Non-voting Chair (Ohio Wesleyan University), Amie Bradley (Trinity University), Doreen Carden (Albion College), G.P. Gromacki (Amherst College), James Scheible (University of Rochester), Michele Sharp (Kean University), Mike Strong (University of Scranton), Nancy Fahey (Washington University-St. Louis) and Suzy Barcomb (University of Puget Sound).