LSU’s women’s basketball team finished the 2005-06 season ranked fourth in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA poll.

The Lady Tigers (31-4) advanced to the program’s third NCAA Final Four and the third in as many season. LSU fell to Duke, 64-45, in the national semifinal Sunday in Boston’s TD Banknorth Garden.

Maryland, winners of the program’s first national title, received all 31 first-place votes and 775 points, while Duke, the national runner-up, placed second with 744 points and North Carolina was third with 689.

LSU received 679 points to place ahead of No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 UConn. Stanford, Oklahoma, Rutgers and Ohio State completed the top 10.

The Lady Tigers enjoyed one of the program’s finest seasons. LSU won its second straight Southeastern Conference regular season championship with a 13-1 record.

The team was also award a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and the third time overall.

LSU defeated Florida Atlantic, Washington, DePaul and Stanford to earn a trip to the Final Four in Boston.

With its No. 4 ranking in women’s basketball, LSU joined North Carolina as the only schools in NCAA history to have its football team and men’s and women’s basketball teams finish their seasons ranked in the top 5 in the nation during the same athletic year.