Skylights ranked in NAIA Preseason Coaches Poll

The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team is off to an excellent 2-0 start to the 2016-17 season. And the Skylights got more good news this week.

Northern senior Natalee Faupel was named Frontier Conference Women's Player of the Week for her efforts in wins over Mount Royal and Lethbridge last weekend. Faupel averaged 18 points and four rebounds per game and scored a game-high 22 points against Lethbridge last Saturday.

On Tuesday, the NAIA released its Preseason Women's Coaches Poll, and the Skylights are ranked No. 16. Northern was ranked in the Top 25 all of last season as well. In all, four Frontier Conference teams are in the Top 25 with Lewis-Clark State at No. 7, UGF at No. 18 and Carroll College at No. 25.

The Men's Preseason Coaches Poll was also released Tuesday. Carroll College is No. 9, LC State is No. 15 and UM-Western received votes.

The Skylights have a rematch with Lethbridge set for Saturday at 3 p.m. inside the Armory Gymnasium.

NAIA Women's Preseason Coaches Poll

1 1 MidAmerica Nazarene (7) 32-5 218

2 3 Westmont (Calif.) (2) 29-4 213

3 2 Our Lady of the Lake 30-3 203

4 5 Campbellsville (Ky.) 27-8 194

5 15 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 28-7 177

6 10 Vanguard (Calif.) 25-7 175

7 10 Lewis-Clark State 27-7 168

8 13 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 27-8 165

9 4 Lyon (Ark.) 30-4 158

10 12 Bethel (Tenn.) 27-7 155

T11 6 Shawnee State (Ohio) 29-6 149

T11 8 Benedictine (Kan.) 29-7 149

13 7 Baker (Kan.) 28-9 136

14 9 The Master's (Calif.) 25-6 130

15 19 Central Methodist (Mo.) 26-5 125

16 20 Montana State-Northern 23-9 121

17 14 Pikeville (Ky.) 26-9 115

18 16 Great Falls (Mont.) 24-11 103

19 22 Oklahoma City 20-9 93

20 18 Columbia (Mo.) 27-6 91

21 21 Talladega (Ala.) 23-6 72

22 17 Wayland Baptist (Texas) 25-5 64

23 23 Cumberland (Tenn.) 18-12 63

24 25 Loyola (La.) 23-8 61

25 24 Carroll (Mont.) 22-9 57

Others receiving votes: LSU Shreveport (La.) 42; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 39; John Brown (Ark.) 33; Langston (Okla.) 16; Edward Waters (Fla.) 8; Mobile (Ala.) 8; Xavier (La.) 5.

NAIA Men's Preseason Coaches Poll

1 1 Mid-American Christian 28-9 247

2 2 Georgetown 32-4 237

3 6 William Penn 29-7 228

4 5 Biola 30-4 225

5 3 LSU Alexandria 29-4 215

6 10 Columbia (Mo.) 29-6 208

7 7 Talladega 25-6 206

8 4 MidAmerica Naz. 28-9 191

9 9 Carroll College 23-10 177

10 22 William Carey 20-12 166

11 11 Campbellsville 25-11 165

12 RV Westmont 21-11 155

12 20 Dillard 21-12 155

14 13 Our Lady of the Lakes 22-9 137

15 12 Lewis-Clark State 29-5 125

16 24 Park 20-10 113

17 14 Hope International 26-7 107

18 RV Oklahoma City 15-11 106

19 8 Pikeville 25-6 97

20 16 Texas Wesleyan 24-8 93

20 NR Lindsey Wilson 17-14 93

22 NR Faulkner 20-14 82

23 NR Central Methodist 16-16 61

24 RV LSU Shreveport 18-14 51

25 RV Xavier (La.) 21-13 42

Others Receiving Votes: SAGU (Texas) 38; Montana Western 36; Langston (Okla.) 29; William Woods (Mo.) 27; William Jessup (Calif.) 25; Cumberlands (Ky.) 22; Arizona Christian 12; Benedictine (Kan.) 8; Voorhees (S.C.) 6; Peru State (Neb.) 6; Science & Arts (Okla.) 5; Dalton State (Ga.) 3.