The Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team ended the regular season on a four-game winnng streak and captured a share of the Frontier Conference regular season championship. But the Lights only moved up one spot in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll.
Northern, which finished the regular season with a 24-6 record, moved up to No. 21 in the poll, released Monday. UM-Western, which tied Northern for the league championship, but lost to Rocky Mountain College last Thursday night, dropped just three spots from No. 14 to No. 17. Westminster continued to receive votes.
On the women's side, the Northern women still received one vote in this week's poll. The Skylights played well in losses to Westminster and Lewis-Clark State on the road this past weekend. The Warriors stayed at No. 13 this week, while the Griffins, who are the Frontier champions and are on a 12-game winning streak, moved up to No. 14.
The Frontier Playoffs begin with men's games tonight. The women play on Wednesday. There is one NAIA Coaches Poll left this season.
NAIA Men's Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Oklahoma Baptist (10) 26-3 311 1
2. Shorter (Ga.) (2) 28-2 303 2
3. Southern Poly (Ga.) 25-5 282 5
T4. Robert Morris (Ill.) 25-4 274 3
T4. Concordia (Calif.) 24-6 274 4
6. Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 24-6 259 6
7. Our Lady of the Lake 23-6 255 7
8. Mountain State (W.Va.) 23-7 241 9
9. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 20-8 240 8
10. Rogers State (Okla.) 22-7 215 10
11. Point Loma Naz. 19-8 201 12
12. Georgetown (Ky.) 22-7 195 13
13. John Brown (Ark.) 23-7 190 15
14. LSU Shreveport (La.) 21-7 172 19
15. Lee (Tenn.) 20-7 162 16
16. Columbia (Mo.) 24-6 158 18
17. Montana Western 22-8 141 13
18. Xavier (La.) 22-7 136 25
19. Biola (Calif.) 22-8 125 RV
20. Texas Wesleyan 23-6 113 11
21. MSU-Northern 24-6 112 22
22. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 23-7 89 24
23. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 21-9 88 23
24. Tougaloo (Miss.) 21-7 87 17
25. MidAmerica Naz. 22-8 86 RV
Others receiving votes: Cumberland (Tenn.) 66; Pikeville (Ky.) 57; Saint Xavier (Ill.) 46; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 21; Evangel (Mo.) 18; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 12; Cal State San Marcos 6; Westminster (Utah) 6; St. Catharine (Ky.) 6; Westmont (Calif.) 3; SAGU (Texas) 3; Loyola (La.) 1; Union (Tenn.) 1; Baker (Kan.) 1; Voorhees (S.C.) 1; Cumberlands (Ky.) 1; Campbellsville (Ky.) 1.
NAIA Women's Coaches Poll
Rec. Pts. Prv.
1. Oklahoma City (11) 27-1 281 1
2. Union (Tenn.) 28-2 272 2
3. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 26-4 263 3
4. Lubbock Christian 24-4 251 6
5. Westmont (Calif.) 26-3 240 5
5. Lee (Tenn.) 28-2 240 4
7. Shawnee State (Ohio) 25-4 230 7
8. Cumberlands (Ky.) 25-3 218 8
9. Langston (Okla.) 28-2 208 9
10. Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 27-3 203 10
11. Vanguard (Calif.) 22-5 191 11
12. Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 22-6 187 12
13. Lewis-Clark State 25-4 168 13
14. Westminster 20-7 163 16
15. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 21-8 149 14
16. Southern Naz. (Okla.) 22-8 141 15
17. Georgetown (Ky.) 21-8 139 17
18. Belhaven (Miss.) 23-6 137 18
19. Shorter (Ga.) 25-5 113 20
20. Xavier (La.) 22-8 112 19
21. Campbellsville (Ky.) 19-11 93 21
22. MidAmerica Naz. (Kan.) 22-8 91 22
23. Loyola (La.) 23-4 88 23
24. Columbia (Mo.) 22-8 79 24
25. Rogers State (Okla.) 20-10 69 25
Others receiving votes: Biola (Calif.) 47; Lyon (Ark.) 35; William Woods (Mo.) 35; Avila (Mo.) 32; LSU Shreveport (La.) 18; St. Catharine (Ky.) 7; San Diego Christian (Calif.) 1; St. Gregory’s (Okla.) 1; Cumberland (Tenn.) 1; Montana State-Northern 1; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 1; Talladega (Ala.) 1.
