Skylights, Lights dip in NAIA Polls

Last weekend was an intense one for the Montana State University-Northern men’s and women’s basketball teams, with home games against nationally ranked opponents.

And speaking of national rankings, the Skylights dipped a bit in this week’s NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll. Following their close loss to Carroll College last Friday night in Havre, the Skylights fell from No. 2 to No. 8 in the new poll. Northern started the season ranked No. 8 in the preseason poll.

Carroll remained No. 5 in the new poll. The Fighting Saints knocked off the Skylights, but one night later, were beaten at UGF.

The Frontier Conference has three teams in the Top 25, as Lewis-Clark State moved into the poll at No. 20, while Rocky Mountain College dropped out. RMC and UGF are receiving votes in this week’s poll.

On the men’s side, after back-to-back home losses, the Lights dropped out of the new poll, while LC State and Carroll are the only two Frontier teams ranked this week. LCSC moved up two spots to No. 5, while the Saints climbed four spots to No. 12. UM-Western is also receiving votes.

Northern is back in the Armory this weekend, hosting Montana Tech Friday night and LC State Saturday night.

NAIA Women's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 Westmont (Calif.) (8) 14-1 219

2 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) 15-3 206

3 4 Bethel (Tenn.) 13-3 201

4 6 Our Lady of the Lake 12-2 195

5 5 Carroll (Mont.) 13-2 189

6 8 Columbia (Mo.) (1) 16-0 185

7 7 Benedictine (Kan.) 14-1 180

8 2 MSU-Northern 13-2 179

9 T9 Shawnee State (Ohio) 15-2 160

10 T9 MidAmerica Nazarene 11-3 158

11 11 Lyon (Ark.) 13-2 153

12 12 Vanguard (Calif.) 9-3 148

T13 14 Xavier (La.) 11-5 123

T13 13 Freed-Hardeman 11-5 123

T13 15 Oklahoma City 7-4 123

16 16 The Master's (Calif.) 12-2 118

17 20 Pikeville (Ky.) 16-0 115

18 17 Langston (Okla.) 9-3 105

19 18 Cumberland (Tenn.) 11-5 92

20 RV Lewis-Clark State 13-3 79

21 23 Talladega (Ala.) 12-3 76

22 25 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 14-3 69

23 RV Wayland Baptist 8-4 60

24 RV Wiley (Texas) 10-1 57

25 RV Loyola (La.) 11-3 49

Others receiving votes: Great Falls (Mont.) 43; Central Methodist (Mo.) 43; John Brown (Ark.) 18; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 18; Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 14; Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 6; Baker (Kan.) 3; Hope International (Calif.) 3; William Woods (Mo.) 3.

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 2 Pikeville (Ky.) (6) 16-1 217

2 1 Georgetown (Ky.) (1) 15-1 209

2 4 Columbia (Mo.) (2) 16-1 209

4 6 LSU Alexandria 13-2 192

5 7 Lewis-Clark State 16-1 190

6 5 William Penn (Iowa) 13-2 184

7 9 Arizona Christian 14-2 182

8 10 Talladega (Ala.) 14-3 171

9 11 Hope International 14-2 163

10 20 Biola (Calif.) 17-1 151

11 13 Texas Wesleyan 10-4 143

12 16 Carroll (Mont.) 12-3 139

13 21 Langston (Okla.) 10-3 134

14 14 Xavier (La.) 13-4 131

15 RV Mid-America Christian 12-3 121

16 12 Westmont (Calif.) 12-4 110

17 RV Mobile (Ala.) 12-4 108

18 18 SAGU (Texas) 12-4 87

19 3 Freed-Hardeman 12-5 85

20 RV Park (Mo.) 9-5 79

21 RV Campbellsville (Ky.) 15-4 75

22 8 Dalton State (Ga.) 12-4 73

23 RV Avila (Mo.) 10-4 68

24 17 Wayland Baptist 11-4 60

25 RV William Woods (Mo.) 12-6 43

Others Receiving Votes: Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 41; Central Methodist (Mo.) 38; Benedictine (Kan.) 17; Montana Western 13; Vanguard (Calif.) 12; Cumberlands (Ky.) 11; Middle Georgia State 10; Tougaloo (Miss.) 7; Wiley (Texas) 6.