INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee released its second set of regional rankings on Wednesday, placing Harding University at No. 3 in the highly competitive Central Region.

The Lady Bisons (22-4 overall, 21-4 in-region) remain the top-ranked program from the Great American Conference (GAC). They trail only No. 1 Minnesota State (26-1) and No. 2 Fort Hays State (23-3) in the 10-team regional list.

The regional rankings are critical for postseason aspirations, as they determine the field for the 64-team NCAA Division II National Tournament. The Central Region consists of 42 teams from the GAC, the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

At the conclusion of the conference tournaments, the three champions from the GAC, MIAA, and NSIC receive automatic bids. The next five highest-ranked teams in the final regional poll receive at-large selections to fill out the eight-team Central Region Tournament bracket in March.

The Lady Bisons' resume is bolstered by a 21-4 record against in-region opponents, a key metric used by the committee to evaluate strength of schedule and performance.

The NCAA will release one final public ranking next Wednesday before the tournament field is officially announced during the Selection Show on Sunday, March 8.

NCAA Central Region Rankings (Feb. 25)

1. Minnesota State (26-1)

2. Fort Hays State (23-3)

3. Harding (22-4)

4. Concordia-St. Paul (21-6)

5. Central Missouri (19-5)

6. Washburn (19-7)

7. Arkansas Tech (17-6)

8. Northwestern Oklahoma (16-8)

9. Minnesota Duluth (19-7)

10. Mary (20-9)