LILBURN, Ga. --- For the first time in school history, the Tusculum College Women's basketball team is listed in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll as the Pioneers are ranked No. 22 in the country. Tusculum received 93 points and is the highest ranked team from the NCAA II South Atlantic Region.

TC (21-3, 11-1 in South Atlantic Conference) is riding a six-game winning streak and has won 18 of its last 19 contests. The Pioneers will defend their national ranking for the first time on Wednesday when they host two-time defending SAC Tournament Champion Newberry at 6 p.m. Tusculum defeated Newberry last month 68-60 in an overtime thriller last month.
Delta State holds the top spot in the poll, receiving 622 total points, including 24 first place votes. Seattle Pacific is second with 599 points, followed by North Dakota (565), South Dakota (554 - 1st place vote) and Concordia-St. Paul (520). Drury and Holy Family are tied for sixth, followed by Fort Lewis, Indiana (Pa.) and West Georgia.

Alaska-Anchorage comes in at No. 11, followed by Arkansas Tech, Stonehill, Valdosta State, Anderson (S.C.), West Texas A&M, Washburn, Emporia State, Hillsdale, Franklin Pierce, Cal State-Chico, Tusculum, Francis Marion, Cal State-San Bernardino and Fairmont State to round out the Top 25.

A win on Wednesday would clinch at least a share of Tusculum's first-ever South Atlantic Conference regular season championship.