EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T women's basketball team is ranked again. A&T enters the collegeinsider.com mid-major top-25 poll as the 25th-ranked team in the nation after receiving votes in the poll two weeks ago. 

"We're thankful that our program received this recognition," head coach Tarrell Robinson said. "It lets us know that our hard work and sacrifice is being noticed on a national scale."

A&T earned entry by receiving 56 votes, finishing ahead of Sacramento State, who received 54 votes. The Aggies are 13-6 overall and lead the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) standings by a game and a half with a 7-1 record. Drexel, Stony Brook and Towson are second at 5-2.

The Aggies are ranked in the mid-major for the first time as a CAA-affiliated school but made the poll three times previous as a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), the last coming in 2018 when the Aggies won the MEAC and advanced to the NCAA tournament. 

A&T won its inaugural CAA conference game 67-50 over Elon on Dec. 30 at Corbett Sports Center and has been the conference's defensive marvel ever since. The Aggies lead the conference in defensive field goal percentage (.365) and 3-point field goal defensive percentage (.295). 

In addition, A&T's opponents turnover the ball over 19.9 times per game, second most in the conference. The Aggies are third in the league in scoring defense (61.6). A&T has yet to give up 70 points to a CAA team in regulation. Nationally, the Aggies rank 36th in field goal percentage defense, 38th in rebounds per game (41.4), 35th in turnovers forced per game and 26th in offensive rebounding (14.9).    

A&T opened the conference, winning its first five games before Delaware came to Corbett and defeated the Aggies 69-52 on Jan. 15. A&T rebounded with a 68-60 win over Stony Brook and a 75-70 overtime win over Hampton.  

Drexel, at No. 22, is the only other CAA school ranked in the poll. However, Stony Brook is receiving votes. The Aggies host College of Charleston Sunday at 2 p.m. before traveling to Elon to face the Phoenix Friday at 7 p.m.