Dec. 29, 2007

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team moved up six spots to No. 16 in Monday's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The No. 16 ranking is SFA's highest in the poll since the 2003-04 season and came on the same day that the Lumberjacks garnered some additional national attention.

SFA received a vote in Monday's USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll, marking the first time in five years for the Lumberjacks to earn a nod in either of the top two national polls. SFA got one vote in the Feb. 3, 2003 Associated Press poll. This week marked the first week for a Southland Conference school to appear in the USA Today/ESPN poll since Northwestern State garnered a vote in March of 2006.

SFA's No. 16 showing in the Mid-Major poll marks the third straight week for the Lumberjacks to crack the rankings. SFA broke into the poll three weeks ago at No. 25, then moved up to No. 22 in last week's poll. The last time a Lumberjack team was ranked as high as 16th was the 2003-04 season, when SFA held the position for four straight weeks before falling to No. 17 in the Jan. 12 poll.

SFA will try to extend its current seven-game winning streak Saturday, when the Lumberjacks open play in the SMU Holiday Classic. SFA will take on Paul Quinn College in a 4:35 p.m. tip on Saturday and square off with host team SMU at the same time Sunday.

-- SFA --