Tampa Ranked In Top 25 Again

TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa Spartans broke back into the national top 25 rankings for the second time this season, claiming the 25th spot in this week's USA TODAY ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches' Poll.

UT was ranked for two weeks earlier in the season, peaking at No. 19 before dropping out of the polls during January when the Spartans went 5-4. Tampa won its last contest of that month and has not lost since, winning a school-record 12 consecutive games en route to capturing both the Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament titles.

The Spartans (25-5) feature one of the top defenses in Division II, ranking third nationally in both field goal percentage defense (32.3 percent) and scoring defense (50.5 points per game). UT limited No. 23 Rollins to just 29 points in the SSC tournament championship game on Sunday.

Tampa will travel to Cleveland, Miss. on Friday to take on Clark Atlanta University in the NCAA South Regional. The Spartans are the No. 3 seed in the regional being hosted by No. 24 Delta State University.

The USA TODAY ESPN Board of Coaches is made up of 29 head coaches at Division II institutions. All are members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.