Commerce, Texas

In the final USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and for the first time in school history, the Texas A&M University-Commerce women's basketball team is ranked No. 13.

En route to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight, the Lions defeated No. 8 Washburn, No. 9 Missouri Western State, No. 18 Emporia State and No. 11 West Texas A&M in four-consecutive games.

The Lions jump from unranked to No. 13 is the largest leap made by the six teams that were previously unranked coming into the final poll.

The No. 1 team and previously ranked No. 7 Western Connecticut State was the consensus top team with all 21 votes after winning the national championship on Saturday with a 61-45 win over previously No. 1 Florida Gulf Coast.

Other Lions opponents in 2006-07 to appear in the final poll were North Dakota at No. 5, Clayton State at No. 6 and Georgia College and State University, who was tied for 23rd.

USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 women's basketball poll, with first-place votes noted to the side, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.

Rank Institution - First Place Votes
1. Southern Connecticut State University - 21
2. Florida Gulf Coast University
3. University of California, San Diego
4. Clayton State University (Ga.)
5. University of North Dakota
6. Glenville State College (W. Va.)
7. Delta State University (Miss.)
8. Washburn University (Kan.)
9. Missouri Western State
10. California State University, Chico
11. West Texas A&M University
12. Lewis University (Ill.)
13. Texas A&M University, Commerce
14. Holy Family University (Ga.)
15. Valdosta State University (Ga.)
16. Drury University (Mo.)
17. Regis University (Colo.)
18. Emporia State University (Kan.)
19. Bentley College (Mass.)
20. Augustana College (S.D.)
21. North Carolina Central University
22. University of Nebraska, Kearney
23T. Anderson University (S.C.)
23T. Georgia College & State University
25. Ferris State University (Mich.)


Dropped Out: Grand Valley State University (Mich.), Metropolitan State College of Denver (Colo.), Florida Institute of Technology, University of South Dakota, American International College (Mass.), Gannon University (Pa.).

Others Receiving Votes: Grand Valley State University (Mich.) - 71; Indiana University of Pennsylvania - 61; Metropolitan State College of Denver (Colo.) - 58; Florida Institute of Technology - 54; University of South Dakota - 46; University 0f Alaska, Anchorage - 38; Gannon University (Pa.) - 30; American International College (Mass.) - 25; Arkansas Tech University - 24; Pace University (N.Y.) - 16; University of Tampa - 9; Concordia University, St. Paul (Minn.) - 8; Columbus State University (Ga.) - 6; Rollins College (Fla.) - 5; Wingate University (N.C.) - 4; Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) - 2.

The USA TODAY ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 28 head coaches at Division II institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The 2006-07 board: Antonio Davis (St. Augustine College), Barbara Stevens (Bentley College), Brandon Schneider (Emporia State University), Denny Downing (Texas A&M University-Commerce), Gary Brown (Bluefield State College), Greg Bruce (Western Oregon Univ.), Jamie Pewinski (Lake Superior State), Jay Sparks (Columbus State), Jerry Olson (Oklahoma Panhandle State University), Jessica Smith (Univ. of New Haven), Joddie Gleason (Humboldt State University), Joe Frager (Southern Connecticut State), John Barnes (Michigan Tech), Karl Smesko (Florida Gulf Coast University), Katherine Pate (Belmont Abbey College), Kip Drown (CSU Pueblo), Kristin Trn (Shippensburg University), Linda Raunig (Regis University), Linden Weese (Eastern New Mexico), Lynn Plett (Lewis University), Michael McLaughlin (Holy Family University), Paul Fessler (Concordia University, St. Pauls), Sandra Rushing (Delta State University), Shannan Bergen (University of West Florida), Sherry Winn (University of Charleston), Tom Andersen (Chadron State College), Valecia Tedder (Francis Marion University), Vanessa Taylor (Johnson C. Smith University).