The Lewis-Clark State College women’s basketball did not budge from its preseason ranking of No. 5 in the first regular-season edition of the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Monday.
Second-ranked Union (Tenn.) totaled 298 points and Lewis-Clark State recorded 274 points to be two of just four teams to retain the positions they received in the preseason poll released in late October.
Oklahoma City is now No. 1 as the Stars, who were listed third in the preseason edition, are off to a 6-0 start and were a unanimous selection with 12 first-place votes for 312 points. Preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Azusa Pacific dropped back to No. 3 with 296 points. Climbing two spots from sixth to fourth was Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) with 278.
Lewis-Clark State is off to an 8-1 start to the season, with its only loss coming against Azusa Pacific. The team currently ranks in the NAIA’s top 10 in 11 statistical categories including No. 1 in field goal percentage defense, as teams are shooting just 28.9 percent against the Warriors; and No. 2 in total rebounding margin, with LCSC averaging over 13 rebounds more per game than its opponents.
Rocky Mountain came in at No. 24 and was the only other Frontier Conference member listed in the top 25. Westminster and Montana Western did receive votes.
The Warriors, in pursuit of their 10th national tournament appearance in the last 11 years, have one game on their schedule this week, a home game against Eastern Oregon on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
The next regular-season Top 25 poll will be announced on Dec. 12.
|
RANK
|
LAST WEEK
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2011 RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
3
|
Oklahoma City (12)
|
6-0
|
312
|
|
2
|
2
|
Union (Tenn.)
|
10-1
|
298
|
|
3
|
1
|
Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
|
5-1
|
296
|
|
4
|
6
|
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
|
9-0
|
278
|
|
5
|
5
|
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
|
8-1
|
274
|
|
6
|
20
|
Westmont (Calif.)
|
8-1
|
253
|
|
7
|
4
|
Shawnee State (Ohio)
|
8-2
|
241
|
|
8
|
19
|
Langston (Okla.)
|
8-0
|
232
|
|
9
|
15
|
Lee (Tenn.)
|
9-0
|
230
|
|
10
|
10
|
Vanguard (Calif.)
|
6-1
|
228
|
|
11
|
12
|
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
|
8-1
|
210
|
|
12
|
6
|
Bethel (Tenn.)
|
6-2
|
202
|
|
13
|
13
|
Saint Xavier (Ill.)
|
9-2
|
195
|
|
14
|
8
|
Campbellsville (Ky.)
|
7-3
|
186
|
|
15
|
RV
|
Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
8-1
|
165
|
|
16
|
11
|
Southern Nazarene (Okla.)
|
5-3
|
162
|
|
17
|
16
|
Xavier (La.)
|
7-3
|
154
|
|
18
|
21
|
Shorter (Ga.)
|
8-1
|
136
|
|
19
|
17
|
Lubbock Christian (Texas)
|
5-3
|
133
|
|
20
|
18
|
Columbia (Mo.)
|
7-3
|
107
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Georgetown (Ky.)
|
9-1
|
106
|
|
22
|
RV
|
Robert Morris (Ill.)
|
9-1
|
89
|
|
23
|
25
|
Belhaven (Miss.)
|
7-2
|
88
|
|
24
|
RV
|
Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
|
9-2
|
68
|
|
25
|
14
|
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
|
6-3
|
60
|
Others receiving votes: William Woods (Mo.) 56; Rogers State (Okla.) 56; Avila (Mo.) 24; Biola (Calif.) 24; Westminster (Utah) 22; The Master's (Calif.) 17; Loyola (La.) 15; Lyon (Ark.) 15; Park (Mo.) 14; LSU Shreveport (La.) 11; Benedictine (Kan.) 4; Oklahoma Baptist 1; St. Gregory's (Okla.) 1; Graceland (Iowa) 1; Montana Western 1.
