LILBURN, Ga. ? The Alaska Anchorage women's basketball team is ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in school history after being tabbed so in Tuesday's latest USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 poll.

The Seawolves (18-1, 5-0 GNAC), who had been ranked No. 2 the previous three weeks, ascended to the top spot after previous No. 1 Northern Kentucky lost Saturday. UAA received 671 total points in the poll, including 23 of 27 first-place votes.

UAA is currently riding a school-record 16-game winning streak under third-year head coach Tim Moser. The Seawolves have been ranked in the top 25 for the entire season and 23 of the last 25 weeks overall.

“I'm thrilled for the recognition that this will bring to UAA and our program,” Moser said. “Of course, I'm cautious as well because this means we have a big target on our back. We will still concentrate on one game at a time and that starts with Western Oregon on Thursday.”

The Seawolves and Wolves (7-9, 2-3) square off Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Week 8 Poll: January 27, 2009
USA TODAY/ESPN Division II Top 25 women's basketball poll
(First-place votes to the right, total points based on 25 points
for first-place through one point for 25th)
Rk  School (1st-Pl. Votes)   Last Wk   Record   Pts
 1. ALASKA ANCHORAGE (23)       2       18-1    671
 2. Northern Kentucky (4)       1       16-1    610
 3. California (Pa.)            4       15-2    606
 4. Emporia State (Kan.)        5       16-2    586
 5. Fort Lewis (Colo.)          6       16-1    568
 6. Minnesota State-Mankato     3       17-1    550
 7. Hillsdale (Mich.)           7       15-2    508
 8. Tusculum (Tenn.)            8       16-2    462
 9. Indiana (Pa.)               9       15-2    438
10. Michigan Tech             t10       15-2    430
11. Rollins (Fla.)             12       16-1    385
11. Washburn (Kan.)           t10       15-3    385
13. West Texas A&M             13       15-3    340
14. Seattle Pacific (Wash.)    14       12-3    299
15. Stonehill (Mass.)          15       16-3    298
16. Central Oklahoma           17       14-3    250
17. UC San Diego               21       17-2    233
18. District of Columbia       20       15-2    207
19. Francis Marion (S.C.)      NR       14-1    136
20. Arkansas Tech              16       14-4    134
20. Grand Valley State (Mich.) 25       15-2    134
22. Minnesota State-Moorhead   18       14-4    115
23. South Carolina-Aiken       19       14-5     74
24. Clark Atlanta (Ga.)        NR       15-1     55
25. Saint Mary's (Texas)       NR       16-2     41
UAA opponents in bold; West Region teams in italics