George Washington University Athletics
Colonials Crack Top 25 In Both National Polls
1/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2006
WASHINGTON, DC - The George Washington Colonials women's basketball team is ranked No. 25 in the country in both national polls. The Colonials (11-4, 4-0) are the last remaining unbeaten team in the Atlantic 10 and have games against Rhode Island on Friday at noon and Massachusetts on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. This is the first time that both the women and men have been nationally ranked in the same week since January 4, 1994 when both teams were No. 23 in the Associated Press Poll.
The GW women are ranked in both polls for the first time since the 2002-03 season when the women's team was ranked as high as No. 18 in both polls. This is GW's 76th appearance in the AP Poll in the program's history. Temple is No. 21 in the AP Poll while remaining ranked No. 20 in the Coaches' Poll despite losing to GW by 17 points last Wednesday. This is also the first time that two teams from the Atlantic 10 have been ranked in the same week since then-No. 25 GW was joined by then-No. 16 Virginia Tech on December 28, 1998.
George Washington is one of nine schools in the country with both the men and women's team ranked nationally. GW joins Duke and Boston College as the only three private schools in that group. The GW men and women were both ranked during the 1997-98 season but not during the same weeks.
Of the other ranked teams in the Coaches' Poll, GW played No. 1 Tennessee tough on December 7, 2005. Tennessee has been ranked in first place by the coaches for the entire season and they are receiving 29 of the 31 first place votes. In addition to upsetting then-No. 19 Temple last week, the Colonials upset Purdue when they were also ranked 19th in the AP Poll and 24th in the Coaches' Poll. The Boilermakers have only lost two games all season rising steadily in the rankings and find themselves ranked No. 11 in both polls this week.
Of GW's four losses this season, all four are earning votes in the Coaches' Poll. Tennessee is first with 772, North Carolina State is 31st with 15 votes, Virginia is 32nd with 15 votes and Texas is tied for 42nd with one vote despite being ranked No. 18 in both polls when GW lost to the Longhorns in November.
The Colonials take their undefeated conference record on the road this weekend with games against Rhode Island and Massachusetts before returning to Charles E. Smith Athletics Center on Friday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m. versus Fordham. GW has won its last eight games at Smith Center this season.
