Following a tough road stretch of three straight losses, including two this past weekend, the Montana State University-Northern men’s basketball team took a tumble in the new NAIA Coaches Poll.
After losses at then No. 24 UM-Western on Friday night and Montana Tech on Saturday, the Lights fell from No. 13 to No. 22 in this week’s poll. Northern is 20-6 overall but dropped from first to second in the Frontier Conference standings.
Western made the biggest jump of any team in the NAIA Poll. After sweeping the Lights and UGF, the Bulldogs moved from No. 24 to No. 15. Westminster and UGF also received votes in this week’s men’s poll.
The MSU-Northern women earned an important road split this past weekend, keeping the Skylights alone in fourth place in the league standings. But the Skylights didn’t receive any votes in this week’s women’s poll. Northern had received votes the previous two weeks. LC State and Westminster held steady at No. 8 and No. 18, respectively, while Rocky Mountain College received votes in the new poll.
Western’s Kyle Erickson is this week’s Frontier Men’s Player of the Week. Erickson is a 6-foot-4, senior forward from Broadview, Mont. In the two Bulldog wins, Erickson averaged 31.5 points, 12 rebounds, 4.5 assists and two steals per game. In the victory over Northern, Erickson missed only one field goal and one free throw.
LC State’s Alyssa Fierro earned the women’s honor. Fierro is a 6-foot-2 senior post from Bigfork, Mont. For the weekend, Fierro averaged 14 points, 13.5 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and one steal per game. She was 11 of 29 from the field and 6 0f 9 from the free throw line. In the victory over Carroll, Fierro had six blocked shots.
The Lights and Skylights will play their final home games of the 2012 regular season this weekend. MSU-N hosts RMC on Friday night, then hosts Carroll College Saturday.
NAIA Men’s Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Shorter (Ga.) (10) 24-1 311 2
2. Oklahoma Baptist (1) 22-3 302 3
3. Robert Morris (Ill.) (1) 23-2 292 1
4. Southern Poly (Ga.) 20-4 281 4
5. Rogers State (Okla.) 20-4 268 6
6. Martin Methodist 20-5 259 7
7. Our Lady of the Lake 20-5 252 5
8. Westmont (Calif.) 18-5 235 9
9. Mountain State (W.Va.) 20-6 231 10
10. Georgetown (Ky.) 19-6 220 8
11. Concordia (Calif.) 20-5 212 16
12. Texas Wesleyan 20-4 202 13
13. John Brown (Ark.) 21-5 197 15
14. Lee (Tenn.) 18-5 167 17
15. Montana -Western 20-7 155 24
16. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 16-8 152 12
17. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 20-6 149 11
18. Tougaloo (Miss.) 21-5 144 19
19. LSU Shreveport (La.) 18-6 141 18
20. Columbia (Mo.) 20-6 130 21
21. MidAmerica Naz. 19-7 115 20
22. MSU-Northern 20-6 98 13
23. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 18-8 97 23
24. Cumberlands (Ky.) 15-9 63 RV
25. Xavier (La.) 18-7 57 25
Others receiving votes: Saint Xavier (Ill.) 50; Evangel (Mo.) 35; Campbellsville (Ky.) 29; Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) 22; Cumberland (Tenn.) 19; Union (Tenn.) 18; SAGU (Texas) 13; Westminster (Utah) 8; Biola (Calif.) 8; Cal State San Marcos 7; Baker (Kan.) 3; St. Thomas (Texas) 1; Oklahoma Christian 1; Pikeville (Ky.) 1; Great Falls (Mont.) 1; Science & Arts (Okla.) 1; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 1; Missouri Baptist 1; Voorhees (S.C.) 1; St. Catharine (Ky.) 1.
NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Oklahoma City (12) 23-1 312 1
2. Union (Tenn.) 24-2 302 3
3. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 21-4 292 2
4. Lee (Tenn.) 25-1 282 4
5. Cumberlands (Ky.) 23-1 272 5
6. Westmont (Calif.) 23-2 262 6
7. Lubbock Christian 19-4 248 7
8. Lewis-Clark State 23-3 244 8
9. Shawnee State (Ohio) 22-4 226 10
10. Langston (Okla.) 23-2 225 9
11. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 23-3 212 11
12. Vanguard (Calif.) 17-5 205 12
13. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 18-6 194 13
14. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 19-6 183 14
15. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 19-7 165 17
16. Belhaven (Miss.) 20-6 153 15
17. Georgetown (Ky.) 17-8 152 16
18. Westminster 17-7 151 18
19. Loyola (La.) 21-2 130 20
20. Campbellsville (Ky.) 18-9 121 21
21. Xavier (La.) 18-8 115 19
22. Shorter (Ga.) 20-5 101 23
23. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 18-8 90 24
2. MidAmerica Naz. (Kan.) 18-8 87 22
25. Columbia (Mo.) 18-8 68 RV
Others receiving votes: Lyon (Ark.) 46; William Woods (Mo.) 40; LSU Shreveport (La.) 34; Rogers State (Okla.) 32; Avila (Mo.) 23; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 18; Talladega (Ala.) 5; Robert Morris (Ill.) 3; Central Methodist (Mo.) 1; St. Gregory’s (Okla.) 1; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 1; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 1.
