NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Southern Connecticut women's basketball rank second in the East Region, in the second week of the NCAA Division II Regional Rankings, as announced on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The Owls are one of six NE10 teams to be featured in the Rankings and it is the second straight week that Southern has been ranked second in the region.
 
Southern Connecticut finished the regular season with an impressive overall and in-region record of 21-5 and an NE10 record of 16-2. It is the most wins that the Owls have recorded since the 2011-2012 season. In addition, Southern finished the regular season, winning 15 of their last 16 games, with 12 of those games won by double-digit margins. In the postseason, the Owls have advanced to the NE10 Championship game after they defeated #7 Adelphi in the NE10 First Round, then they defeated #6 Southern New Hampshire in the NE10 Semifinals.
 
In all of Division II, Southern is ranked sixth in assist/turnover ratio with a ratio of 1.28 and is ranked sixth in DII in assists with an average of 17.9 assists per game.
 
On Wednesday, Tish Blackwood was named NE10 Rookie of the Year, as she became the third Owl in program history to be named Rookie of the Year and first since Jackie Bethea earned the honor in the 2011-12 season. She was also named to the All-NE10 Second Team and the All-Rookie Team. Rheyna Steinauer was named to the All-NE10 First Team while Hope Fox and Jillian Martin were named to the All-NE10 Third Team. Fox was also named to the All-Defensive Team, becoming the first player in program history to be named to the All-Defensive Team. Southern tied Bentley for the most All-Conference and All-Defensive Team selections with five, this season.
 
The Owls will face Bentley in the NE10 Championship Game for the second time in three seasons. Sunday's NE10 Championship Game will be available to view live on SNY at 1 p.m. from Waltham, Mass.
 
2026 SCSU Women's Basketball NCAA Regional Rankings:
Week 1: Featured in the Top 10 of the East Region
Week 2: Second (first numerical ranking of the season and highest NCAA Regional Ranking since the 2011-2012 season)
Week 3: Second