Skylights remain solid inside NAIA Top 25

It’s nearly the halfway point in the 2014 Frontier Conference basketball season, and the Montana State University-Northern women’s basketball team has a strong standing nationally.

In the new NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll, the Skylights dropped just two spots, despite falling to unranked Carroll College last Saturday night in Helena. Northern, which is 15-4 overall and 5-2 in the Frontier, moved from No. 15 to No. 17 in the latest poll. The Skylights are also ranked third in the new Frontier Conference Power Rating.

Three Frontier teams are nationally ranked on the women’s side. Westminster moved up to No. 3 in the new poll, while Lewis-Clark State jumped up four spots to No. 18. The Griffins and Warriors are both unbeaten in league play.

On the men’s side, the MSU-Northern Lights have fallen completely out of the poll. The Lights were still receiving votes in last week’s poll, but a loss to Carroll, coupled with more dramatic swings in league play this past weekend, moved the Lights even farther down. Northern is now rated No. 4 in the Frontier Conference Power Rating.

The Frontier saw even more wild changes as it relates to the new coaches poll. UM-Western moved into the Top 25 at No. 18, while the University of Great Falls went from not even receiving any votes last week to being ranked No. 24 this week. After suffering losses last weekend, both Westminster and LC State dropped out of the Top 25. The Griffins and Rocky Mountain College are receiving votes in the new poll.

The Lights and Skylights are home Friday night to face UGF.

NAIA Women's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 Vanguard (Calif.) (8) 13-0 249

2 2 Freed-Hardeman (2) 17-0 243

3 4 Westminster (Utah) 12-2 230

4 5 MidAmerica Nazarene 15-1 228

5 6 Oklahoma Baptist 14-2 220

6 7 Georgetown (Ky.) 12-3 204

7 3 Oklahoma City 10-2 203

8 8 Campbellsville (Ky.) 16-2 193

9 9 The Master's (Calif.) 14-3 192

10 10 Talladega (Ala.) 16-1 175

11 11 Our Lady of the Lake 13-1 170

12 12 Westmont (Calif.) 11-4 168

13 14 Wiley (Texas) 16-1 154

14 18 Lewis-Clark State 20-1 142

15 17 Columbia (Mo.) 12-5 125

16 13 Bethel (Tenn.) 12-6 124

17 15 MSU-Northern 15-4 120

18 19 John Brown (Ark.) 13-3 118

19 24 Martin Methodist 14-3 108

20 21 Baker (Kan.) 13-5 102

21 20 Hope International 12-4 89

22 22 Cumberlands (Ky.) 10-6 87

23 RV Mobile (Ala.) 13-3 73

24 16 Coastal Georgia 16-2 62

25 RV Xavier (La.) 14-6 56

Others Receiving Votes: LSU Shreveport (La.) 49; Central Methodist (Mo.) 49; Lyon (Ark.) 28; Benedictine (Kan.) 18; Southern Poly (Ga.) 14; Cumberland (Tenn.) 6; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 4; Southern-New Orleans (La.)

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 2 SAGU (Texas) (7) 15-1 248

2 3 Cal State San Marcos 20-1 239

3 6 Freed-Hardeman (3) 14-0 236

4 1 Pikeville (Ky.) 15-2 227

5 5 Evangel (Mo.) 15-3 217

6 8 Talladega (Ala.) 17-2 211

7 4 Columbia (Mo.) 16-2 196

T8 10 Concordia (Calif.) 14-4 189

T8 9 William Carey (Miss.) 11-2 189

10 12 Wiley (Texas) 13-2 172

T11 18 Georgetown (Ky.) 14-4 167

T11 13 Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 14-3 167

13 7 Arizona Christian 14-3 159

14 T16 Emmanuel (Ga.) 15-2 137

15 15 Benedictine (Kan.) 13-4 132

16 T22 Xavier (La.) 15-4 121

17 11 St. Gregory's (Okla.) 13-3 117

18 NR Montana Western 11-6 109

19 25 Hope International 14-3 108

20 RV Rio Grande (Ohio) 13-5 102

21 T16 Philander Smith (Ark.) 13-5 97

22 21 Mid-America Christian 9-5 93

23 20 Vanguard (Calif.) 15-2 76

T24 NR Great Falls (Mont.) 13-6 54

T24 14 St. Catharine (Ky.) 11-6 54

T24 RV Martin Methodist 10-5 54

Others receiving votes: LSU Shreveport (La.) 41; Oklahoma City 34; Westminster (Utah) 29; Faulkner (Ala.) 9; Graceland (Iowa) 7; Life (Ga.) 3; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 3.