Off to its best start since the 1999-2000 season, the Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball team climbed two spots into a tie for the No. 3 spot in this week’s NAIA Women’s Division I Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, the NAIA announced Monday.
The Warriors, 11-0 on the season, drew 286 points to tie Campbellsville University of Kentucky for the No. 3 spot. In last week’s poll, which was the first poll of the regular season, Campbellsville (7-2) stood fourth, while LCSC was fifth. However, last week’s No. 3 team, Azusa Pacific, lost last week and fell to No. 8.
This is LCSC’s highest ranking since being No. 2 in the final regular season poll in 2007.
Defending champion Union is the top-ranked team for the 39th straight week. Union drew all 12 first-place votes for 312 points and is 9-0 against ranked competition this year. That includes a 6-0 mark against Top 10 teams. Oklahoma City University is second at 302 points. Union (12-0), Oklahoma City (11-0), and No. 13 William Woods (9-0) are the only other undefeated teams in the NAIA with LCSC. The 11 wins to start the season is the best for LCSC since it won its first 26 games in the 1999-00 season.
Defense has been the big key for LCSC this season. The Warriors are holding opponents to just 29.5 percent shooting from the field, which ranks second in the NAIA, and 52.8 points per game, which ranks sixth. The Warriors are third in the NAIA in blocked shots per game at nearly 5.8 and rank fourth in scoring margin as it has outscored the opposition by 25.2 points per game. The Warriors also rank in the NAIA’s top 10 for steals per game, total assists, rebounding margin, total steals, and defensive rebounds per game.
Individually, LCSC’s Kirsi Voshell is fifth in total blocks and seventh in field goal percentage, while Jasmine Stohr is sixth in scoring and eighth in steals. Alyssa Fierro is 10th in blocks.
The Warriors return to action on Friday for their final game before Christmas. LCSC will tangle with Northwest University in Kirkland at 5:30 p.m.
LCSC then resumes play with a three-game road trip to California. The Warriors will meet No. 8 Azusa Pacific at 3 p.m. on Dec. 28, Hope International at 5 p.m. on Dec. 29, and The Master’s at 6:15 p.m. on Dec. 30.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next Top 25 poll will be announced on Jan. 10.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The next Top 25 poll will be announced on Jan. 10.
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2010 RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
1
|
Union University (Tenn.) (12)
|
12-0
|
312
|
|
2
|
2
|
Oklahoma City University
|
9-0
|
302
|
|
3
|
4
|
Campbellsville University (Ky.)
|
7-2
|
286
|
|
3
|
5
|
Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
|
11-0
|
286
|
|
5
|
6
|
Saint Xavier University (Ill.)
|
7-2
|
269
|
|
6
|
8
|
Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.)
|
9-2
|
263
|
|
7
|
12
|
Biola University (Calif.)
|
8-2
|
257
|
|
8
|
3
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
9-2
|
245
|
|
9
|
6
|
Vanguard University (Calif.)
|
5-3
|
233
|
|
10
|
11
|
Bethel University (Tenn.)
|
9-2
|
212
|
|
11
|
10
|
Westminster College (Utah)
|
12-2
|
210
|
|
12
|
9
|
Lee University (Tenn.)
|
9-3
|
206
|
|
13
|
13
|
William Woods University (Mo.)
|
9-0
|
180
|
|
14
|
13
|
Southern Polytechnic State University (Ga.)
|
9-1
|
178
|
|
15
|
17
|
Xavier University (La.)
|
10-2
|
172
|
|
16
|
16
|
Southern Nazarene University (Okla.)
|
8-1
|
164
|
|
17
|
19
|
California Baptist University
|
9-3
|
150
|
|
18
|
18
|
University of the Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
7-5
|
146
|
|
19
|
15
|
Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.)
|
8-2
|
127
|
|
20
|
20
|
Langston University (Okla.)
|
6-4
|
118
|
|
21
|
22
|
Westmont College (Calif.)
|
8-2
|
99
|
|
22
|
23
|
John Brown University (Ark.)
|
9-2
|
98
|
|
23
|
21
|
Shorter University (Ga.)
|
9-2
|
81
|
|
24
|
25
|
Carroll College (Mont.)
|
9-3
|
78
|
|
25
|
RV
|
Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)
|
8-3
|
74
|
Others receiving votes: Columbia College (Mo.) 63; Lyon College (Ark.) 32; Evangel University (Mo.) 22; Loyola University (La.) 20; Montana Tech 15; Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) 14; Lubbock Christian University (Texas) 11; William Jewell College (Mo.) 8; University of Rio Grande (Ohio) 8; The Master's College (Calif.) 7; Indiana University-South Bend 1; Benedictine College (Kan.) 1; Northwestern Oklahoma State University 1; Pikeville College (Ky.) 1; Voorhees College (S.C.) 1; Baker University (Kan.) 1; Robert Morris University (Ill.) 1; Mid-America Christian University (Okla.) 1.
