Lady Eagles Earn Highest Regional Ranking at No. 4

INDIANAPOLIS -- North Carolina Central University jumped six spots to No. 4 in the latest NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region poll, as chosen by the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee.

The leap to the fourth-ranked position gives the Lady Eagles the highest regional ranking in women's basketball history at NCCU. The previous high was No. 7 in the final regional poll last season (Feb. 27, 2001). The Lady Eagles were No. 10 in the South Atlantic Region the past two weeks before moving to No. 4.

N.C. Central currently holds a 12-3 overall record, and is riding an 11-game win streak. The three Lady Eagles losses were to Francis Marion (No. 9 in South Atlantic Region with 10-5 record), American International (No. 1 in Northeast Region with 14-2 record), and unranked Xavier (New Orleans, LA).

The following are the top ten teams in the South Atlantic Region, with records through Sunday, January 20, 2002:

1.	Mars Hill	14-1
2.	Catawba	13-3
3.	South Carolina-Aiken	13-2
4.	North Carolina Central	11-3
5.	Johnson C. Smith	14-2
6.	North Carolina-Pembroke	12-4
7.	Lenoir-Rhyne	13-4
8.	Fayetteville State	11-4
9.	Francis Marion	10-5
10.	North Florida	11-5