WAYNE, N.J. -- The William Paterson women's basketball team was ranked eighth in the Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Poll and ninth in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll released Jan. 26.
The Pioneers are 18-1 overall and 6-1 in New Jersey Athletic Conference play, most recently defeating visiting Rutgers-Camden by a 90-42 score Jan. 23. William Paterson currently leads the NJAC's North Division by 1.5 games. Last week, WP was ranked ninth by USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association and 11th by D3hoops.com. This week's ranking in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Poll marks the highest rating for the Pioneers this season.
The Pioneer women join the Pioneer men, who are ranked 16th by D3hoops.com this week, making William Paterson one of six Division III schools to currently have both of its basketball programs rated among the top 25 in the country (Amherst, Illinois Wesleyan, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Whitewater and Washington University, Mo.).
The Pioneers will visit New Jersey City Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6:00 p.m.
USA Today/ESPN/Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III Poll (Jan. 26)
Rank Institution - First Place Votes Previous Ranking Record Points
1 Illinois Wesleyan University (Ill.) - 8 1 17-0 200
2 Amherst College (Mass.) 2 17-0 191
3 Kean University (N.J.) 3 19-1 182
T4 Hope College (Mich.) 4 16-1 171
T4 Washington University (Mo.) 5 15-1 171
6 George Fox University (Ore.) 6 15-2 158
7 University of Scranton (Pa.) 7 15-2 151
8 William Paterson University (N.J.) 9 18-1 141
9 Marymount University (Va.) 11 17-1 136
10 Calvin College (Mich.) 8 16-2 122
11 Christopher Newport University (Va.) 13 17-0 120
12 Tufts University (Mass.) 19 15-2 97
13 Moravian College (Pa.) 15 15-2 96
14 Messiah College (Pa.) 10 15-2 88
15 University of Puget Sound (Wash.) 16 15-2 86
16 Thomas More College (Ky.) 14 15-2 78
17 Muhlenberg College (Pa.) 18 12-2 72
18 Carthage College (Wis.) 17 14-3 61
19 Bowdoin College (Maine) 12 13-3 56
T20 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 24 15-3 40
T20 Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) 22 15-2 40
22 Mount Union College (Ohio) 23 15-2 28
23 University of Chicago 21 12-4 23
24 Lebanon Valley College (Pa.) NR 16-1 20
25 DePauw University (Ind.) NR 15-3 18
D3hoops.com Women's Basketball Poll (Jan. 26)
Rank Institution - First Place Votes Record Points Previous Ranking
1 Illinois Wesleyan (20) 17-0 620 1
2 Amherst (4) 17-0 597 2
3 Washington U. 15-1 566 3
4 Kean (1) 19-1 561 4
5 Hope 16-1 521 5
6 Scranton 15-2 483 6
7 George Fox 15-2 457 7
8 Marymount 17-1 405 10
9 William Paterson 18-1 395 11
10 Calvin 16-2 362 9
11 Muhlenberg 12-2 362 12
12 Tufts 15-2 318 16
13 Moravian 15-2 295 14
14 Christopher Newport 17-0 293 15
15 Messiah 15-2 265 8
16 Puget Sound 15-2 240 18
17 Thomas More 15-2 235 17
18 Bowdoin 13-3 179 13
19 UW-Stevens Point 15-3 179 20
20 Carthage 14-3 175 19
21 Washington and Jefferson 15-2 122 23
22 UW-Whitewater 13-4 119 22
23 Lebanon Valley 16-1 83 —
24 DePauw 15-3 57 —
25 Chicago 12-4 46 —