University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Continues to Move Up in AP Top 25; Ranked No. 18 in Monday's Poll
2/18/2013 7:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
NEWARK, Del. – While in the midst of a 17-game winning streak and 33 straight in Colonial Athletic Association regular season play, the University of Delaware women's basketball team continues to improve in the Associated Press Top 25 national poll as the Hens were ranked 18th with 295 points.
Delaware (22-3; 13-0 CAA) was 20th in last week's poll. The Blue Hens opened the season with a No. 11 ranking before falling to No. 17 on Nov. 12 after losses to Georgetown and Duquesne in the Pre-Season WNIT. UD returned to the poll on Jan. 25 as No. 25.
Baylor (24-1) stayed first in the poll for the seventh straight week with 998 points and 38 first place votes. Notre Dame (955), Connecticut (927; two first place votes), Stanford (868) and Duke (843) remained in the top five.
Also earning spots in the AP Top 25 poll were California, Penn State, Kentucky, Maryland, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Louisville, Georgia, Dayton, South Carolina, Norht Carolina, UCLA, Delaware, Florida State, Colorado, Syracuse, Purdue, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Green Bay.
Among the teams also receiving votes in the poll are Iowa State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Toledo, Washington, West Virginia, Southern Methodist, San Diego State, LSU and Michigan State.
Delaware was No. 22 USA Today Coaches Poll last week and look to move up as well as that poll is announced Tuesday.
Additionally, the Blue Hens remained atop the CBI Mid-Major Poll for the fifth straight week last week, with this week's rankings coming out on Tuesday.
The Hens were ranked for the majority of the 2011-12 campaign, rising as high as No. 7 in the final AP Poll. UD then started the 2012-13 slate with a No. 13 ranking, its first-ever appearance in the preseason poll.
Senior All-American Elena Delle Donne, leads the squad and is second in the nation with an average of 24.7 points per contest. Additionally, she collects 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game for the Hens. Fellow seniors Lauren Carra (11.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Danielle Parker (9.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg) also lead Delaware statistically.
The Hens wrap up a two-game road trip Tuesday as they face George Mason at 7 p.m. at the Patriot Center. Delaware returns home Sunday for a 4:30 p.m. contest in the team's annual Dare to be Strong/Play for Kay pink game. Sunday's game against James Madison will be televised on Comcast Sports Net.
