Pacers Tabbed Second in Inaugural Southeast Region Rankings
INDIANAPOLIS – The University of South Carolina Aiken women’s basketball team was tabbed second in the inaugural NCAA Division II Southeast Region Rankings of the 2011-12 season.
The top three teams in the first region rankings of the year are all from the Peach Belt Conference with national No. 4 Clayton State first and national No. 18 Lander right behind the Pacers in third.
The region rankings were released by the Southeast Region selection committee. The rankings are used to determine the region participants from the Southeast Region for the 2012 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship.
Eight teams from the Southeast Region will receive an invitation to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. An automatic bid is given to the winner of the Peach Belt Conference, the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas. The next five highest ranked teams will earn an at-large berth into the national tournament.
Ranked 13th nationally, USC Aiken enters the upcoming week coming off two huge wins last week.
The Pacers opened things last week by besting then No. 17 Lander, 65-62, in a battle of top-20 teams on Wednesday, Feb. 8.
USC Aiken (19-3, 12-2 PBC) then avenged one of its two losses in Peach Belt Conference play with a 58-44 home win over UNC Pembroke on Saturday, Feb. 11.
The Pacers have two more important Peach Belt Conference East Division games this week, beginning with a 5:30 p.m. game against rival Augusta State today (Wednesday, Feb. 15).
USC Aiken, which is one game behind Lander (18-4, 13-1 PBC) in the PBC East Division standings, will then welcome the nationally 18th-ranked Bearcats to the Convocation Center for another top-20 showdown at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18.
The contest will be a part of USC Aiken’s Homecoming celebration.
NCAA Division II Southeast Region Rankings
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012
1. Clayton State
2. USC Aiken
3. Lander
4. Catawba
5. Wingate
6. Tusculum
7. Lenoir-Rhyne
8. Limestone
9. Newberry
10. Mount Olive
NCAA Divison II Regional Rankings (2/15) - Click Link to Access
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