MTSU Women’s Basketball Ranked No. 23 In ‘AP’ Top 25 Poll

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MTSU Lady Raiders. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU Athletics

The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) women’s basketball team ranked No. 23 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25 Poll for the first time since the 2013-14 season.

Winners of their last 14 games, which is the fourth longest active winning streak in the country, the Lady Raiders (16-2, 9-0 C-USA) made it into the top 25 after receiving votes in the last seven AP polls. Middle Tennessee has spent 22 weeks in the AP poll in program history.

Checking in at No. 20 in the NET rankings as of Jan. 22, MTSU leads Conference USA and ranks 11th in the country in scoring margin (19.7). Since the start of conference play, the Lady Raiders have posted a point differential of 20.8.

Earlier this season, the Lady Raiders defeated then-No. 18 Louisville, marking the Lady Raiders’ first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 28, 2011 when MTSU knocked off No. 6 Kentucky 70-58 at the Murphy Center. It was the 11th win in program history over a ranked team–fourth under head coach Rick Insell–and the sixth ranked win inside of Murphy Center.

The team’s recent performances against the University of Alabama Birmingham, Charlotte and Louisiana State earned Insell an ESPN Women’s Basketball Coach of the Week honor. The Lady Raiders outscored their opponents 209-145.

The national ranking adds to the list of achievements around Middle Tennessee Athletics during 2022-23. Blue Raider men’s tennis was ranked No. 25 team in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Preseason Poll, while the Lady Raiders (No. 18/15 Louisville) and the Blue Raider football team (No. 25 Miami) both knocked off ranked opponents.

Steven Boero
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