Lady Pirates Move Up In Top 25 Poll
November 19, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 19, 2008
GREENVILLE, N.C. - The East Carolina women's basketball team continues to earn national respect at the beginning of the 2008-09 season, receiving four votes in the latest ESPN/USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll, according to a release Monday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Lady Pirates are off to a 2-0 start, defeating Hampton and Appalachian State inside Minges Coliseum.
Southern Miss is the only other Conference USA program to make a showing in the coaches poll this week as it earned one vote. Virginia, East Carolina's opponent on Dec. 6, is ranked 11th after defeating then No. 6 Tennessee in Knoxville on Monday night. Another 2008-09 Lady Pirate foe, Marist, received 27 votes and is off to a 1-0 start, defeating Albany on Sunday.
Prior to receiving one vote in the preseason edition of the coaches poll, East Carolina had never been ranked or received votes. However, in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll, the Lady Pirates were ranked for five weeks in 1982.
ECU entered the Top 20 that year at No. 19 on Jan. 27. After moving up to 18th a week later, the Lady Pirates fell out of the poll for two weeks until re-entering the chart on Feb. 24, again at No. 18. East Carolina would then rise to its highest-ever ranking, 17th on March 3, before finishing its run in the polls at No. 20. The Lady Pirates would later qualify for their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the end of that season.
East Carolina returns to the court Friday night, closing a three-game season-opening homestand with a contest against Presbyterian. Tip off inside Minges Coliseum is scheduled for 7 p.m.
