LILBURN, Ga. — The Fort Lewis College women's basketball team is ranked No. 6 in the preseason USA TODAY ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, released today by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Skyhawks received 515 total points.

“This is another nice pre-season honor for our program and for this year's team,” said seventh-year FLC head coach Mark Kellogg, who ranks No. 5 in Division II in terms of winning percentage. Through his first six seasons at FLC, Kellogg's Skyhawks have posted an overall record of 147-41 (.782) and 97-20 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games (.829).

“We hope to use this as motivation and ensure that we keep improving each day to accomplish our post-season goals,” he added. “We have a long way to go, but I think this team is ready for the road ahead of us.”

The Top 10 includes Clayton State (Ga.) (732 points, 27 first place votes), Bentley (Mass.) (625, 1), Michigan Tech (607), Arkansas Tech (596), Delta State (Miss.) (540), Fort Lewis, Metro State (Colo.) 426), Shaw (N.C.) (402), Wayne State (Neb.) (399), and Lander (S.C.) (398).

Fort Lewis was picked No. 5 in the preseason poll released by the Women's Division II Bulletin last month.

The Skyhawks finished the 2010-11 campaign with 28-3 overall record and 20-2 in RMAC games. The 28-3 mark (.903) was the best season in school history in terms of winning percentage. Fort Lewis won the RMAC Shootout for the first time ever and hosted the NCAA Division II Central Regionals for the second year in a row before being upset by Adams State 77-66 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.

Fort Lewis has emerged as a national powerhouse the past four seasons, qualifying for the NCAA Division II playoffs all four years and advancing to the 2009 Sweet Sixteen and the 2010 Division II national championship game. The Skyhawks won three straight RMAC regular season titles from 2007-08 through 2009-10.

In addition to their success on the court, the Skyhawks also maintained the highest grade point average of any women's basketball team in the nation — 3.715 — the highest at all levels of collegiate basketball, including NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, plus NAIA and junior college teams.

Kellogg's team lost just two players after last season: all-time assists and three-point field goal leader Abby Jackson, who graduated with honors last April, and Andrea Owens, a reserve guard who played sparingly.

The Skyhawks host their final preseason tune-up at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Whalen Gymnasium when they face an FLC alumnae team. Players from the 1980s through last year will be represented on the alumnae team, including all five starters from the 2010 NCAA Division II runner-up squad.

Fort Lewis opens its regular season at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 12, at Eastern New Mexico.

The complete USA TODAY ESPN Top 25 poll includes:

1. Clayton State (Ga.), 732 points, 27 first-place votes
2. Bentley (Mass.), 625, 1
3. Michigan Tech, 607
4. Arkansas Tech, 596
5. Delta State (Miss.), 540
6. Fort Lewis (Colo.), 515
7. Metro State (Colo.), 426
8. Shaw (N.C.), 402
9. Wayne State (Neb.), 399
10. Lander (S.C.), 398
11. Washburn (Kan.), 346
12. Alaska-Anchorage, 291
13. UC-San Diego, 274
14. Grand Canyon (Ariz.), 270
15. Northwest Missouri State, 229
16. Wisconsin-Parkside, 221
17. South Carolina-Aiken, 216
18. Holy Family (Pa.), 201
19. Cal. Poly-Pomona, 198
20. Tarleton State (Texas), 196
21. Grand Valley State (Mich.), 192
22. Franklin Pierce (N.H.), 191
23. Edinboro (Pa.), 158
24. Northeastern State (Okla.), 152
25. Drury (Mo.), 141

Others Receiving Votes: Dixie State (Utah) 123; Barton (N.C.) 120; Rollins (Fla.) 103; Emporia State (Kan.) 96; Quincy (Ill.) 93; Fort Valley State (Ga.) 82; Saint Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) 81; Western Washington 63; Johnson C. Smith (N.C.) 62; Wingate (N.C.) 53; Central Oklahoma 39; Florida Southern 38; Charleston (W.Va.) 31; Tampa (Fla.) 31; Arkansas-Fort Smith 29; West Texas A&M 26; Bloomsburg (Pa.) 23; Seattle Pacific (Wash.) 18; Ashland (Ohio) 12; Assumption (Mass.) 12; Winona State (Minn.) 12; CSU-Monterrey Bay 11; California-Pennsylvania 9; Concordia (Minn.) 9; Limestone (S.C.) 9; Augustana (S.D.) 7; Valdosta State (Ga.) 7; Northern Kentucky 6; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 6; West Liberty (W.Va.) 4; Glenville State (W.Va.) 3; Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 3; Tusculum (Tenn.) 3; Columbus State (Ga.) 2; Concord (W.Va.) 2; Miles (Ala.) 2; Texas Woman's 1; Central Missouri 1.

The USA TODAY ESPN board of coaches is made up of 30 head coaches at Division II institutions. Polls are released each Tuesday throughout the season.