Skylights continue to climb in NAIA Poll

The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team is moving up fast, and senior A'Jha Edwards is racking up the awards.

Northern moved from No. 15 to No. 11 in the new NAIA Women's Coaches Poll, released Tuesday afternoon, while Edwards was named NAIA National Player of the Week on Tuesday as well.

The Skylights improved to 17-1 and 2-0 in the Frontier Conference after sweeping Montana Tech and then No. 12 Lewis-Clark State last weekend in Havre. The No. 11 spot is the highest ranking in Northern head coach Chris Mouat's tenure.

Overall, four teams remain in the Top 25, and five Frontier quads are in the poll altogether. Westminster, which lost last Thursday to Carroll College, dropped just one spot to No. 5, while LCSC dropped just two spots to No. 14. The Fighting Saints, who Northern plays Thursday night, moved up five spots to No. 19.

Meanwhile, Edwards was named NAIA Women's Player of the Week for a second straight week. Among her achievements last weekend, she averaged 23 points and 17 rebounds, while shooting 73 percent from the field. She missed just seven field goal attempts in Northern's wins over Montana Tech and LC State.

In the new men's poll, just two Frontier teams remain ranked. UM-Western climbed one spot to No. 9 after sweeping Carroll and Rocky. RMC, which was swept this past weekend, dropped all the way out of the poll for the first time this season. LC State, which split with Northern and UGF, moved up to No. 19 in the new poll, while the Argos received the most votes of any team outside the Top 25.

NAIA Women's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 Freed-Hardeman (8) 16-1 219

2 2 Oklahoma City (1) 9-1 212

3 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) 16-1 205

4 7 Loyola (La.) 14-0 193

5 4 Westminster (Utah) 11-2 189

6 9 Langston (Okla.) 12-0 185

7 8 Bethel (Tenn.) 14-2 178

8 5 Oklahoma Baptist 11-2 175

9 T10 Concordia (Calif.) 12-3 161

10 6 Wiley (Texas) 9-1 159

11 15 MSU-Northern 17-1 144

12 14 MidAmerica Nazarene) 12-4 136

13 T10 Vanguard (Calif.) 10-4 130

T14 18 Shawnee State (Ohio) 15-3 127

T14 12 Lewis-Clark State 15-3 127

16 17 The Master's (Calif.) 12-4 114

17 16 Westmont (Calif.) 14-3 110

18 19 Our Lady of the Lake) 10-4 102

19 24 Carroll (Mont.) 11-4 87

20 20 Lyon (Ark.) 11-4 81

21 22 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 13-4 79

22 13 Cumberland (Tenn.) 9-6 76

23 23 Columbia (Mo.) 12-4 64

24 25 Georgetown (Ky.) 10-5 50

25 RV Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 13-3 42

Others receiving votes: Great Falls (Mont.) 35; Texas Wesleyan 34; Benedictine (Kan.) 27; Pikeville (Ky.) 11; Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 10; Xavier (La.) 9; Baker (Kan.) 8; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 8; Cumberlands (Ky.) 5; Biola (Calif.) 3.

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 Campbellsville (Ky.) (6) 17-1 247

2 2 Hope International 14-0 245

3 3 Cal State San Marcos 19-2 234

4 4 Pikeville (Ky.) 15-1 227

5 7 Martin Methodist 15-1 211

6 5 Talladega (Ala.) 16-3 210

7 8 Oklahoma Baptist 14-2 204

8 6 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 13-2 189

9 10 Montana Western 14-3 181

10 11 Benedictine (Kan.) 14-3 180

11 13 Our Lady of the Lake 10-1 164

11 15 Wayland Baptist (Texas) 14-1 164

13 17 Arizona Christian 15-3 155

14 14 Dalton State (Ga.) 14-2 150

15 9 Concordia (Calif.) 15-3 143

16 20 William Carey (Miss.) 11-3 121

17 12 Texas Wesleyan 12-2 112

18 19 Georgetown (Ky.) 14-3 108

19 23 Lewis-Clark State 15-3 107

20 RV Columbia (Mo.) 14-3 104

21 24 Xavier (La.) 12-6 88

22 RV Evangel (Mo.) 9-6 80

23 16 Philander Smith (Ark.) 10-4 73

24 NR LSU Alexandria 7-1 62

25 RV Cumberlands (Ky.) 14-4 54

Others Receiving Votes: Great Falls (Mont.) 47; Central Methodist (Mo.) 30; Missouri Valley 23; Westmont (Calif.) 21; St. Gregory's (Okla.) 14; Bethel (Tenn.) 10; Life (Ga.) 6; SAGU (Texas) 6; Vanguard (Calif.) 3.