A split on the road is always big in Frontier Conference basketball. It was particularly crucial to the Montana State University-Northern men’s basketball team this past weekend.
And thrashing the Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears on Saturday night in Billings helped the Lights avoid a tumble in the most recent NAIA Coaches Poll. Northern lost to Carroll College last Thursday in overtime, but the Lights slipped only one spot in Monday’s new poll. Northern moved from No. 12 to No. 13 heading into two big homes game this weekend with Lewis-Clark State and Westminster.
UM-Western continued its impressive climb in the polls. The Bulldogs moved up to No. 20 this week, while Westminster received 10 votes.
In the newest Frontier men’s power rankings, the Lights are No. 1 and the Bulldogs are No. 2. Westminster is third in the rankings and UGF, which swept Rocky and Carroll this past weekend, moved up to No. 4.
The MSU-Northern women’s team also earned a hard-fought road split this past weekend, but the Skylights are still absent from the NAIA poll despite a still stellar 15-4 overall record. However, Northern did move up to No. 4 in the latest Frontier power rankings. LC State is No. 1 in the Frontier and ranked No. 6 in the latest NAIA poll. Westminster is ranked No. 20 and Rocky received votes this week. The Griffins and Bears are No. 2 and No. 3, respectively in the new Frontier power rankings.
Great Falls’ Melvin Williams was named Frontier Conference Men’s Player of the Week. Northern’s Devin Jackson was nominated for the men’s award this week. Montana Tech’s Mandy Machinal earned the women’s honor. Jordan Bruursema was Northern’s nominee this week.
NAIA Men’s Basketball Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Shorter (Ga.) 18-0 312 1
2. Robert Morris 19-1 302 3
3. Oklahoma Baptist 16-2 288 2
4. Georgetown (Ky.) 17-3 279 7
5. Southern Poly (Ga.) 15-3 273 4
6. Rogers State 16-3 257 5
7. Our Lady of Lakes 15-3 248 10
8. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 15-4 240 11
9. Martin Methodist 15-4 237 9
10. The Master’s (Calif.) 14-5 229 RV
11. Texas Wesleyan 14-3 194 13
12. Westmont (Calif.) 14-3 192 16
13. MSU-Northern 18-3 191 12
14. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 15-4 190 14
15. Mountain State 14-6 187 15
16. Azusa Pacific 15-4 162 7
17. Lee (Tenn.) 13-4 141 18
18. Concordia (Calif.) 15-4 133 6
19. Xavier (La.) 14-5 130 19
20. UM-Western 16-5 114 22
21. Columbia (Mo.) 16-5 94 24
22. MidAmerica Naz. 14-7 84 RV
23. Pikeville (Ky.) 12-7 76 RV
24. Tougaloo (Miss.) 15-5 71 25
25. Union (Tenn.) 13-7 64 RV
Others receiving votes: Saint Xavier (Ill.) 63; John Brown (Ark.) 50; Evangel (Mo.) 43; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 29; Science & Arts (Okla.) 28; Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 21; Cal State San Marcos 14; Westminster (Utah) 10; St. Catharine (Ky.) 8; Avila (Mo.) 3; LSU Shreveport (La.) 3; Oklahoma Christian 1; Cumberland (Tenn.) 1; SAGU (Texas) 1; Voorhees (S.C.) 1.
NAIA Women’s Basketball Top 25
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Freed-Hardeman 18-2 312 1
2. Oklahoma City 17-1 301 2
3. Union (Tenn.) 19-2 293 3
4. Westmont (Calif.) 18-1 281 4
5. Lee (Tenn.) 19-1 269 6
6. Lewis-Clark State 18-2 254 7
6. Cumberlands (Ky.) 18-1 254 8
8. Langston (Okla.) 17-1 247 5
9. Lubbock Christian 14-3 233 9
10. Vanguard (Calif.) 13-3 223 10
11. Shawnee State 16-4 212 12
12. Azusa Pacific 13-5 199 13
13. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 14-5 196 11
14. Olivet Naz. (Ill.) 17-3 184 14
15. Xavier (La.) 16-5 169 16
16. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 14-5 156 15
17. Georgetown (Ky.) 14-6 151 18
18. Belhaven (Miss.) 16-5 148 18
19. Campbelsville (Ky.) 14-7 132 17
20. Westminster 11-7 113 21
21. MidAmerica Naz. 15-6 111 24
22. William Woods (Mo.) 13-5 96 25
23. Loyola (La.) 15-2 92 23
24. Shorter (Ga.) 14-4 84 RV
25. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 14-7 64 20
Others receiving votes: Robert Morris (Ill.) 46; Lyon (Ark.) 45; Columbia (Mo.) 33; LSU Shreveport (La.) 29; Rogers State (Okla.) 28; Avila (Mo.) 20; Biola (Calif.) 6; Texas Wesleyan 3; Bethel (Tenn.) 1; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 1; Rio Grande (Ohio) 1; Oklahoma Baptist 1; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 1; St. Catharine (Ky.) 1.
