BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb women's basketball moved into the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 Tuesday after a sizzling 16-4 start to the season.

The Runnin' Bulldogs (16-4, 8-0 Big South) sit in first place atop the league standings with one game to go before the midway point of the Big South schedule. GWU has another tough test on Wednesday night, traveling to face USC Upstate on the road in Spartanburg.

Tip is set for 7:00 pm on ESPN+ (WatchESPN.com).

Head coach Alex Simmons' team is the highest ranked mid-major team in the Carolinas, coming in at No. 21 in the poll, which is conducted by a vote of selected head coaches from around the country.

Redshirt senior Jhessyka Williams continues her bid for All-America honors, leading the Big South in both scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg) through 20 games.

Veterans Lauren Bevis (14.0 ppg), Alasia Smith (13.5 ppg) and Ki'Ari Cain (10.3 ppg) have powered a GWU attack that averages a healthy 74.7 points per game. Gardner-Webb features the Big South's top scorer, its top-two rebounders, its steals leader and assist leader so far.

Gardner-Webb's is off to its best 20-game start since the 2009-2010 season and its 8-0 start in league play is its best ever – regardless of conference afflilation.

The Runnin' Bulldogs are in the midst of an eight-game win streak and are a perfect 9-0 at home (6-3 on the road / 1-1 neutral). GWU is 15-1 this season against conferences that make up the mid-major voting pool – the America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independent, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast and Western Athletic.

The CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll is in its 13th season of existence.