The Lincoln Memorial University women's basketball team is ranked 20th in the latest WBCA/USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll in NCAA Division II, officials announced Tuesday, Nov. 29.

The Lady Railsplitters received 148 points and earned the No. 20 spot in this week's rankings. They received 56 points in last week's poll, which would have placed them at 27th.

This is the first time in program history that the Lady Railsplitters have cracked the Top 25 in any NCAA poll. During the 1980s, the women's basketball team was a mainstay in the NAIA Top 25. Since joining the NCAA in 1988, they have received votes on several occasions, but never enough to put them into the Top 25. Emporia State claimed the top spot in the poll this week, followed by Ashland, California (PA), Pittsburg State and Bellarmine. Newberry is the only other ranked South Atlantic Conference team in the poll. The Wolves are ranked 23rd. Anderson is receiving votes. The Lady Railsplitters host Lenoir-Rhyne in a SAC tilt at Tex Turner Arena Wednesday evening, Nov. 30. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

* * *

After suffering a heartbreaking 111-109 overtime loss at Carson-Newman last Tuesday, the Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team fell 11 spots to No. 23 in this week's NABC/Division II national rankings, which were released by National Association of Basketball Coaches on Tuesday afternoon. The Railsplitters (4-2, 0-1 SAC) are also ranked No. 23 in the DII media poll, which was also released on Tuesday. LMU was No. 6 in the previous poll. The Railsplitters have now been ranked in the Top 25 of the NABC poll for 92 consecutive weeks, which stands as the second-longest active and all-time streak in the history of the Division II rankings. However, this represents Lincoln Memorial's lowest national ranking since December 3, 2013, when the Railsplitters checked in at No. 23 as well. Lincoln Memorial hasn't been ranked lower than 23rd since ending the 2011-12 season at No. 24. After playing their first six games of the 2016-17 campaign outside of Harrogate, LMU is set to begin a stretch that will see them play six of their next seven games at Tex Turner Arena. That segment of the schedule begins on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. when Lincoln Memorial welcomes Lenoir-Rhyne to town for a SAC battle.

LMU Athletics Photo