LCSC women are ranked No. 10 in NAIA preseason poll

 11-2-06 

The Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team is ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Division I preseason poll, which came out this week. 

The LCSC men’s team drew two votes to stand at No. 41 in the men’s poll. 

The Warrior women finished as the No. 9 team in the country last year and advanced to the Sweet 16 at the NAIA national tournament, posting a 26-7 record, which included an 11-1 Frontier Conference mark that tied them for first place.

The women return four starters and nine players from a year ago and will make their 2006-07 debut on Friday in an exhibition game at Washington State University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Bohler Gym. 

“I know our players have worked hard and we are happy to see our program getting national recognition, but preseason polls are always unstable,” LCSC coach Brian Orr says.  “And like every other team in the country our focus is on our on-court preparation and performance.” 

The Frontier Conference was well represented in the women’s poll with four teams in the Top 25. Montana-Western is ranked No. 6, while Carroll is at No. 15 and Montana State-Northern is No. 24.  Montana Tech received one vote. 

After exhibition games against WSU and Boise State on the road this week, the Warrior women kick off the season on Nov. 9 against Berry College in a tournament in Salt Lake City. Berry, located in Rome, Ga., is ranked No. 34 in the preseason poll. 

The Warrior women will play their first home contest in the Staples Classic on Nov. 17 against Evergreen College at 6 p.m. 

Westminster was the only conference school to crack the Top 25, coming in at No. 13. Rocky Mountain is No. 27 in the preseason poll, followed by Carroll in a two-way tie at No. 22. 

The Warrior men kicked off the season in a big way Wednesday night with a 90-51 triumph over Cascade College at the LCSC Activity Center. The men are back in action Friday and Saturday at the Carroll Tournament in Helena, Mont. The Warriors will face Vanguard and Point Loma Nazarene, which is ranked No. 11, from the tough Golden State Athletic Conference.