FLORENCE, S.C. – The Francis Marion University men’s and women’s basketball teams will play host to a pair of nationally ranked USC Aiken squads for a highly anticipated Peach Belt Conference doubleheader on Wednesday evening (Feb. 4).
The doubleheader will begin with the women’s game at 5:30 p.m. in the Smith University Center, followed by the men’s contest at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students.
The women’s contest will be joined in progress at 7 p.m. on WWFN-FM 100.1 The Fan, and the men’s game will be aired in its entirety. Both games will be televised on channel 11 of Florence’s Time Warner Cable system.
The Francis Marion women (17-1, 10-1), winners of eight straight, moved up two positions to 17th in this week’s USA Today ESPN Division II Top 25. FMU was ranked for six weeks last season, after a seven-year drought, and reached as high as 18th in the national poll. This is the second week the Patriots have been recognized this season.
The Patriots are off to their fourth-best start in team history and own a 1.5 game lead in the PBC standings. USCA (16-6, 8-4) is ranked No.23 in this week’s poll and is 2.5 games behind FMU. The Lady Pacers handed Francis Marion its only loss of the season, 75-57 on Jan. 7 in Aiken.
Francis Marion leads the all-time series 40-19, but in each of the past nine meetings the home team has held serve.
The FMU men (12-6, 5-6) will be looking to even their PBC record and spring their second straight upset of a top 25 opponent, following Monday’s 74-69 road conquest of 12th-ranked Armstrong Atlantic State University. USCA (15-4, 10-2) is ranked ninth in this week’s Top 25 poll and has won its last three games.
The Patriots also lead the men’s all-time series 40-27. The Pacers swept the two games last season snapping an 11-game FMU winning streak in the series.
USA TODAY ESPN DIVISION II TOP 25 COACHES' POLL
Week 9 Poll: February 3, 2009
Rank Institution (First Place Votes) Prev Ranking Record Points
1. University of Alaska Anchorage (27) 1 20-1 675
2. California University of Pennsylvania 3 17-2 621
3. Fort Lewis College (Colo.) 5 18-1 593
4. Emporia State University (Kan.) 4 18-2 579
5. Minnesota State University-Mankato 6 19-1 570
6. Northern Kentucky University 2 17-2 529
7. Hillsdale College (Mich.) 7 17-2 519
8. Michigan Technological University 10 17-2 481
9. West Texas A&M University 13 17-3 399
10. Washburn University (Kan.) t11 17-3 396
11. Stonehill College (Mass.) 15 17-3 348
12. University of California, San Diego 17 19-2 313
13. Indiana University of Pennsylvania 9 16-3 307
14. University of Central Oklahoma 16 15-3 305
15. Tusculum College (Tenn.) 8 17-3 300
16. University of District of Columbia 18 17-2 273
17. Francis Marion University (S.C.) 19 16-1 254
18. Rollins College (Fla.) t11 17-2 247
19. Seattle Pacific University (Wash.) 14 13-4 174
20. Minnesota State University-Moorhead 22 16-4 144
21. Saint Mary's University (Texas) 25 18-2 130
22. Lenoir-Rhyne University (N.C.) NR 18-2 100
23. University of South Carolina-Aiken 23 16-5 88
24. Franklin Pierce University (N.H.) NR 15-4 60
25. Delta State University (Miss.) NR 17-5 48
Others Receiving Votes: Quincy University (Ill.) - 45; Saint Cloud State University (Minn.) - 36; Arkansas Tech University - 35; Clark Atlanta University (Ga.) - 32; Clayton State University (Ga.) - 30; Holy Family University (Pa.) - 22; Grand Valley State University (Mich.) - 20; Fayetteville State University (N.C.) - 17; Virginia State University - 15; American International College (Mass.) - 11; Georgia College & State University - 11; Northwood University (Mich.) - 10; University of Arkansas, Monticello - 9; College of Saint Rose (N.Y.) - 7; Bentley College (Mass.) - 6; Fort Valley State University (Ga.) - 5; Valdosta State University (Ga.) - 4; University of Indianapolis (Ind.) - 3; Augustana College (S.D.) - 1; Florida Southern College - 1; Pace University (N.Y.) - 1; Pittsburg State University (Kan.) - 1.
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