TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- For the first time in program history, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology women's basketball program is ranked inside the top 25 of an NCAA Division III weekly national poll. The Fightin' Engineers are ranked No. 24 nationally in the most recent D3hoops.com weekly poll released Monday night.
The national ranking also marks the first time that a Rose-Hulman women's athletics team has been ranked in the NCAA Division III national top 25 in any sport.
Rose-Hulman has reached the No. 24 position by virtue of a 20-3 overall record and a 16-0 mark in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play. The Fightin' Engineers have won 18 consecutive games, including perfect months of December, January and February. Rose-Hulman also holds the longest current NCAA Division III women's basketball home winning streak at 36 games dating back to the 2014-15 season.
The squad has already secured its third consecutive HCAC regular season title with its perfect 16-0 league record. The HCAC Tournament semifinal games will be played Friday Feb. 23 at Hulbert Arena on the Rose-Hulman campus. The tournament championship game set for Saturday Feb. 24.
The last three years have brought the Rose-Hulman women's basketball program to unprecedented heights, including the team's first appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament in 2017. The 2015-16 team finished 23-4 and won a share of the HCAC regular season championship before falling in the conference tournament championship game.
The 2016-17 team finished 24-4 and 17-1 in conference play to earn its first outright regular season championship. The Fightin' Engineers then won the HCAC Tournament championship and reached the NCAA Division III Tournament, narrowly falling 57-54 to Wheaton (Ill.).
The current squad started 2-3 with all three losses by a combined 12 points to three times ranked inside the D3hoops.com top 25. Rose-Hulman has since rattled off 18 consecutive wins and has won its last 30 games against HCAC competition.
The Fightin' Engineers have relied on balanced scoring and one of the nation's top defenses for their strong overall performance. Ally Bromenschenkel leads the team at 13.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. The most recent starting lineup includes Alyzia Dilworth (8.5 points per game), Abby Bromenschenkel (7.4 ppg), Lindsey Fagerberg (7.1 ppg) and Kayla Gerken (2.7 ppg). The team's second leading scorer Chiarra Franklin has come off the bench to average 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Other Rose-Hulman players to see action in more than 20 games has included Taylor Graham (7.0 points per game), Debie Gedeon (3.3 ppg), Sophie Brooks (2.6 ppg) and Jenna Queary (2.5 ppg).
Rose-Hulman completes its regular season with two road games later this week, traveling to Anderson on Wednesday and Manchester on Saturday.