| Associated Press
Michigan and TCU vaulted into the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll on Monday after big victories over ranked opponents.
The sixth-ranked Wolverines climbed eight spots after routing then-No. 18 Notre Dame, 93-54, on Saturday at Wayne State Fieldhouse. No. 10 TCU moved up seven places as the Horned Frogs topped then-No. 10 N.C. State on the road Sunday, 69-59.
Michigan State (4-0) moved up two spots to No. 22 after overwhelming two more opponents last week, notching victories over Youngstown State (96-52) and Western Michigan (98-44). The Spartans average margin of victories in their four victories this season stands at 54 points.
Michigan’s win over Notre Dame was its biggest ever over a Top 25 team. The Wolverines, who were last ranked this high on Feb. 21, 2022, have a matchup with No. 1 UConn on Friday night in the Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun.
“Connecticut is really, really good,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “I think our kids want to compete against the best, I always have a stomach ache when those games are on our schedule.”
The Huskies remained the top team after receiving 28 first-place votes from a national media panel. South Carolina was second, fresh off a 69-52 victory over then-No. 8 USC. The Gamecocks got three first-place votes and No. 3 UCLA received the other top ballot after double-digit wins over Oklahoma and North Carolina last week. Texas was fourth and LSU fifth.
Baylor was seventh and the Sooners fell one place to eighth with Maryland ninth.
In and out
West Virginia made its Top 25 debut at No. 23 after beating Duke 57-49 on Friday night in a game marred by an on-court confrontation. The Mountaineers had six players ejected at the half due and played the second half with just five players.
Duke fell out of the poll, ending a 24-week run in the Top 25 that was the ninth-longest active streak.
Conference supremecy
The Southeastern Conference has eight teams in the rankings this week, including three of the top five. The Big Ten has seven schools in the poll, the Big 12 five and the Atlantic Coast Conference four. The Big East has one.
Detroit News staff contributed.
Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll
RecordPtsPrv1. UConn (28)4-079412. South Carolina (3)4-075923. UCLA (1)5-074834. Texas4-070045. LSU4-066856. Michigan3-0560147. Baylor4-055778. Oklahoma4-154869. Maryland5-0529910. TCU4-05211711. Southern Cal2-1465812. Iowa State5-04111613. Mississippi3-04061314. North Carolina3-14011115. Tennessee3-13541216. NC State2-22841017. Vanderbilt3-02461918. Oklahoma State5-02392019. Iowa4-02022120. Kentucky5-01992321. Louisville3-11642222. Michigan State4-01432423. West Virginia4-0126-24. Notre Dame3-11211825. Washington3-010325
Others receiving votes: Duke 89, Minnesota 24, Ohio State 12, Stanford 8, South Dakota State 7, Nebraska 6, Richmond 3, Princeton 2, Fairfield 1.
