Warriors start out No. 12 in NAIA women’s basketball preseason poll

10-31-07

Despite the loss of three starters and five seniors, the Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team starts the year tied for No. 12 with Oklahoma City University in the NAIA preseason Top 25 poll. 

The Warriors, 2-0 this season, finished as the No. 5 team in the country last year when it went 31-3 overall and was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country. The Warriors also went undefeated in Frontier Conference regular-season play at 14-0. 

This season, the Warriors have been picked to finish second behind Carroll College in the Frontier Conference race. Carroll was picked as the No. 7 team in the NAIA poll, which was released Wednesday, while a third FC member, Westminster, is at No. 24. 

Union of Tennessee holds down the top spot and received nine of the 11 first-place votes. Vanguard, last year’s No. 1 team, is ranked No. 2 and picked up the other two first-place votes. 

Also in the Top 25 is Azusa Pacific, a team the Warriors will face twice this season, including on the road next week. 

LCSC resumes action on Sunday in an exhibition contest at Boise State University, which is favored to repeat as the Western Athletic Conference champions. Tipoff is at 1 p.m.