The newest NAIA men’s and women’s basketball coaches polls were released Monday night and while one Montana State University-Northern team garnered plenty of attention, another undeseverdly didn’t.
In the latest NAIA Men’s Coaches Poll, the MSU-Northern Lights jumped from 19th to 13th. This week’s ranking is the highest the Lights have ever achieved under current head coach Shawn Huse. Northern beat the University of Great Falls 63-62 to open Frontier Conference play last Friday night in Havre, marking the ninth straight win for the Lights. MSU-N is 15-2 on the season and hasn’t lost since they fell to Warner-Pacific 69-67 back on Nov. 5.
Meanwhile, the Skylights continue to get snubbed, despite getting off to a 14-1 start. Northern received three votes this week, which was the first time the Skylights have even received votes in the poll all season long.
The women’s poll saw Lewis-Clark State fall from No. 4 to No. 6 this week after the Warriors lost at UM-Western last Friday night. The Bulldogs only received on vote in this week’s poll. Westminster moved into the Top 25 after going 2-0 over the weekend. The Griffins have just a 9-6 record but currently sit at No. 24. Rocky Mountain College dropped all the way out of the poll after the Bears went 1-2 over their last three games.
On the men’s side, Westminster fell all the way from No. 10 to not ranked this week after the Griffins lost road games at Montana Tech and UM-Western this past weekend. Western moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season, setting up a huge nationally-ranked showdown at Northern this Saturday. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23. Despite falling to the Lights, Great Falls managed to receive a vote in the new poll.
The MSU-Northern men and women are homethis weekend, hosting Montana Tech on Friday night and Western Saturday.
For more on the Lights and Skylights, as well as the entire Frontier Conference, see Wednesday and Thursday’s Havre Daily News.
NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Oklahoma City 14-0 312 1
2. Union (Tenn.) 15-1 302 2
3. Freed-Hardeman 14-2 292 3
4. Westmont (Calif.,) 14-1 278 5
5. Langston (Okla.) 13-0 267 7
6. Lewis-Clark State 15-2 264 4
7. Lee (Tenn.) 14-1 257 9
8. Cumberlands (Ky.) 14-1 242 14
9. Shawnee State 13-3 222 6
10. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 12-4 217 10
10. Vanguard 9-3 217 8
12. Lubbock Christina 10-3 211 7
13. Azusa Pacific 9-5 184 11
14. Olivet Naz. (Ill.) 13-3 182 13
15. Georgetown (Ky.) 12-4 168 20
16. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 11-4 165 15
17. Xavier (La.) 11-5 159 17
18. Campbelsville (Ky.) 12-6 138 12
19. Belhaven (Miss.) 12-5 121 RV
20. Lindsey Wilson 12-4 120 22
21. Shorter (Ga.) 11-3 105 18
22. William Woods (Mo.) 10-4 80 RV
23. Robert Morris 11-3 79 21
24. Westminster 9-6 71 RV
25. Lyon (Ark.) 12-3 68 RV
Others receiving votes: Biola (Calif.) 63; Loyola (La.) 60; MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 55; St. Gregory's (Okla.) 23; Park (Mo.) 20; LSU Shreveport (La.) 14; Bethel (Tenn.) 13; Avila (Mo.) 5; Montana State-Northern 3; Rio Grande (Ohio) 1; Oklahoma Baptist 1; Columbia (Mo.) 1; Montana Western 1; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 1; St. Catharine (Ky.) 1.
NAIA Men’s Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Oklahoma Baptist 14-0 312 3
2. Shorter (Ga.) 15-0 298 4
3. Robert Morris 15-1 295 2
4. Concordia (Calif.) 13-2 283 1
5. Georgetown (Ky.) 14-2 265 6
6. Texas Weleyan 10-2 256 7
7. Azusa Pacific 13-2 248 9
8. Rogers State 13-2 241 5
9. Martin Methodist 11-3 239 8
10. Southern Poly (Ga.) 12-2 221 13
11. Mountain St. (W. Va.) 11-5 206 11
12. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 12-3 191 16
13. MSU-Northern 15-2 187 19
14. Lindsey Wilson 11-4 183 18
15. Evangel (Mo.) 13-4 174 14
16. The Master’s (Calif.) 12-3 149 NR
17. Our Lady of Lakes 10-3 133 23
18. Xavier (La.) 10-4 119 21
18. Freed-Hardeman 11-5 119 17
20. Biola (Calif.) 12-4 114 15
21. Lee (Tenn.) 9-3 95 RV
22. Campbellsville (Ky.) 11-5 94 25
23. UM-Western 14-4 93 23
24. Cal St, San Marcos 11-6 84 NR
25. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 12-4 70 22
Others receiving votes: Tougaloo (Miss.) 58; SAGU (Texas) 50; Columbia (Mo.) 40; Westminster 31; Cumberland (Tenn.) 19; Oklahoma Christian 17; Shawnee State (Ohio) 14; MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 6; Baker (Kan.) 5; Westmont (Calif.) 5; Great Falls (Mont.) 1; Lee (Tenn.) 1; Hope International (Calif.) 1; Oklahoma City 1; Spring Hill (Ala.) 1; Voorhees (S.C.) 1; Pikeville (Ky.) 1.
