Dec. 27, 2004

WACO, Texas - The Lady Bear basketball team continues raise the bar for the program, the latest milestone is a No. 3 ranking in the most recent Associated Press poll. The No. 3 listing is Baylor's highest-ever ranking in a women's basketball poll. The team was ranked No. 5 last week and had sat in the No. 6 spot for the two weeks prior to that.

Baylor began the 2004-05 season at No. 8 in the poll and had never slipped below No. 9. The Lady Bears, currently sporting a 9-1 record, have won nine straight contest after dropping its season opener to LSU, 71-70. LSU was ranked No. 3 at the time of the game and is currently the nation's top-ranked team at 10-0.

Women's AP Top Twenty Five
1. LSU (45)
2. Duke
3. Baylor
4. Texas
5. Stanford
6. Notre Dame
7. North Carolina
8. Tennessee
9. Ohio State
10. Michigan State
11. Connecticut
12. Minnesota
13. Texas Tech
14. Boston College
15. Vanderbilt
16. Georgia
17. Maryland
18. Iowa
19. DePaul
20. Purdue
21. Arizona State
22. Kansas State
23. UCLA
24. Rutgers
25. New Mexico

Others receiving votes: Arizona 68, Richmond 49, Houston 45, Florida St. 22, Virginia Tech 21, Iowa St. 17, Illinois 16, Arkansas 15, West Virginia 13, Oklahoma 8, Temple 8, Tulsa 8, N.C. State 6, Oregon 6, Utah 5, Wake Forest 5,Chattanooga 4, Wis.-Green Bay 2, St. John's 1.

The Lady Bears defeated Florida, 89-62, on ESPN2 on Sunday, Dec. 19 and will take a break for the holidays before hosting Montana State on Wed., Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Ferrell Center. The game will be Baylor's final non-conference contest before beginning Big 12 play on the road against Texas A&M, Sat., Jan. 5.