The noise stirred by 12,067 fans and one of the biggest regular-season wins in Auburn women’s basketball history fell on relatively deaf ears at the national level.

Auburn, 20-0 and one of just two remaining undefeated teams in the country, jumped just one spot to No. 5 in the new Associated Press poll, released Monday afternoon.

The one-spot jump would have happened no matter whom the Tigers played this weekend, as previously No. 2 North Carolina dropped to No. 10 after three consecutive losses.

The new ESPN/USA Today coaches poll, which already had the Tigers ranked No. 5, will be released today.

With undefeated UConn unanimously at the top, Auburn sits behind No. 2 Oklahoma (16-2), No. 3 Duke (17-1) and No. 4 Baylor (17-1).

Coach Nell Fortner was asked Sunday, following the Tigers’ 82-68 victory over then-No. 10 Tennessee in front of the largest crowd in Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum history post-renovation, whether or not Auburn should be considered among the nation’s elite.

“Absolutely,” Fortner said without hesitation.

“I think it validates it for more people out there,” Fortner said. “I think it’s more for the people that don’t know more about Auburn. We don’t have the history that Tennessee has. I think it makes people sit up and take notice that ‘Oh, maybe they are for real.’”

The Tigers are off to their best start since 1988-89 when they won their first 28 games before losing to Tennessee late in the season. Auburn went on to win the SEC and advanced to the Final Four that year.

Auburn would need to win the rest of its regular-season games to surpass that start.

The last time Auburn sat at No. 5 in the AP poll was Jan. 5, 2000, when the Tigers began the season 11-1.

“They are very confident. They have reason to be,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. “They are experienced, but at the same time, this Auburn team, in comparison to any team Nell Fortner has had, they are very aggressive and they play off the bounce.”

Of the Tigers’ nine remaining games, only one is against a currently ranked opponent. Auburn travels to No. 20 Vanderbilt on Feb. 19.

Auburn has road contests at Georgia on Thursday and at LSU on Sunday before returning home Feb. 5 to face Ole Miss.

Bonner named SEC Player of the Week
Senior DeWanna Bonner picked up her third SEC Player of the Week award of the season Monday after two exceptional performances.

Bonner led Auburn with 24 points, five rebounds and six assists in Thursday’s win against Alabama before picking up a career-high 35 points in Sunday’s win over then-No. 10 Tennessee. The Fairfield native also grabbed nine rebounds and six steals in the Tigers’ first win over the Lady Vols since 1997.

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