GOLDEN SUNS FINISH SEASON RANKED 16TH IN FINAL
USA TODAY/ESPN WBCA D-II COACHES' TOP 25 POLL

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Women’s Basketball finishes the 2007-08 season ranked 16th in the final USA Today/ESPN WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll that was released on Tuesday.

Tech, who was ranked 13th in the final regular season poll, was one of four Gulf South Conference schools ranked in the Top 20 of the final poll. In fact, the GSC was the only conference to have four teams ranked in the Top 20 of the final poll.

The USA Today/ESPN WBCA Coaches’ Poll is voted on weekly by a panel of 29 head coaches at NCAA Division II institutions and all the coaches are members of the WBCA (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association).

In addition to Tech, Delta State (33-1), who lost in the D-II National Semifinals to South Dakota, finishes the season ranked third, while Valdosta State (26-6), who ended Tech’s season in the semifinals of the NCAA D-II South Regional finishes 15th and West Georgia (25-5) ends the season ranked 20th after losing to Delta State in the semifinals of the NCAA D-II South Regional.

Tech finished this past season with a 26-6 overall record and a 12-2 mark in the GSC. The Golden Suns advanced to the NCAA D-II South Regional for the second consecutive season and finished as runners-up at the GSC Tournament for the second straight year.

Northern Kentucky (28-8) finishes the season ranked No. 1 after winning the NCAA D-II National Championship over South Dakota last Saturday in Kearney, Neb. The Norse received 23 first place votes and 617 points in the final poll. Right behind NKU was South Dakota (33-2), who received two first place votes and 577 points to finish second and Delta State was third as the Lady Statesmen received 574 points. Alaska-Anchorage (27-5) finishes the year ranked fourth after losing to Northern Kentucky in the NCAA D-II Final Four and Washburn (26-7) rounds out the Top 5 at No. 5.

Franklin Pierce (27-5) jumps 12 spots to finish the season ranked No. 6 and is followed by Seattle Pacific (29-1) at No. 7 and California [PA] (27-7) at No. 8. Holy Family (32-1) finishes at No. 9 and Wingate (26-8) moves into the final poll at No. 10 after not being ranked in the previous poll.

Drury (27-3) falls four spots to No. 11 and is followed by North Dakota (27-4) at No. 12 and Stonehill (27-5) falls five spots to No. 13. Concordia-St. Paul (28-3) falls nine spots to No. 14, while Valdosta State is ranked 15th and Tech is ranked 16th. Cal State-Chico (28-6) falls four spots to No. 17 and is followed by West Texas A&M (26-5) at No. 18, Anderson (28-4) falls four spots to No. 19 and West Georgia rounds out the Top 20 at No. 20.

The final five in this week’s poll begins with Fort Lewis (26-4) at No. 21 and is followed by Emporia State (23-8) at No. 22. Indiana [PA] (27-5) falls 11 spots to No. 23, while Clayton State (20-11) and Shepherd (24-7) round out the final poll at Nos. 24 and 25 respectively.

 -- Tech Athletics --