Lights jump into NAIA rankings

Now, in the eyes of all of the NAIA, Montana State University-Northern basketball is elite.

While the MSU-Northern women have been a highly ranked NAIA team all season long, the Northern men have joined the party.

In the new NAIA Men’s Coaches Poll released Tuesday, the Lights jumped into the Top 25 all the way at No. 15. Northern is off to one of its best starts in a decade, going 13-1 and 2-0 through the first half of the season, and the Lights are one of three Frontier teams in the Top 25. UM-Western moved up six spots to No. 11, while Carroll College, after losses in three of its last five games, slipped from No. 6, all the way down to No. 23.

The Lights, led by veteran head coach Shawn Huse, have achieved their highest ranking since early in the 2014-15 season and are making their first appearance in the Top 25 since November of the 2015-16 season.

Meanwhile, the Skylights, who are 11-2 and 1-1 in the Frontier, stayed at No. 11 in the new NAIA Women’s Coaches Poll. Northern is one of four Frontier teams in the women’s Top 25, and five teams in the poll. Lewis-Clark State is ranked No. 2 again this week, while UGF moved up one spot to No. 13. Carroll College remained at No. 25, while undefeated UM-Western is the top team receiving votes in the poll.

The Lights and Skylights restart Frontier play Thursday night at UGF. Northern is also on the road Saturday, at Carroll.

NAIA Women's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 Freed-Hardeman (9) 13-0 250

2 2 Lewis-Clark State (1) 15-0 242

3 4 Westmont (Calif.) 12-1 231

4 5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 13-0 228

5 3 MidAmerica Nazarene 9-2 216

6 T6 Vanguard (Calif.) 12-1 207

7 T6 Campbellsville (Ky.) 14-2 206

8 9 Oklahoma City 11-1 192

9 8 Lyon (Ark.) 10-2 182

10 10 Shawnee State (Ohio) 17-1 180

11 11 MSU-Northern 11-2 172

12 13 Columbia (Mo.) 12-2 156

13 14 Great Falls (Mont.) 11-2 153

14 12 Baker (Kan.) 9-3 150

15 19 Cumberland (Tenn.) 11-2 135

16 17 Central Methodist 10-2 130

17 16 The Master's (Calif.) 9-3 123

18 20 John Brown (Ark.) 9-4 108

19 14 Benedictine (Kan.) 7-5 101

20 22 Loyola (La.) 11-2 91

21 18 Bethel (Tenn.) 8-6 90

22 21 Our Lady of the Lake 8-6 85

23 24 Pikeville (Ky.) 11-4 72

24 23 Lindenwood-Belleville 9-4 63

25 25 Carroll (Mont.) 11-3 47

Others receiving votes: Montana Western 40; Wayland Baptist (Texas) 39; Talladega (Ala.) 33; Biola (Calif.) 19; Harris-Stowe State (Mo.) 8; Wiley (Texas) 8; William Penn (Iowa) 8; Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 6; William Woods (Mo.) 6; Xavier (La.) 4.

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 2 LSU Alexandria (10) 13-0 250

2 2 Georgetown (Ky.) 13-1 236

3 1 Biola (Calif.) 14-1 233

4 4 William Penn (Iowa) 11-1 232

5 5 Oklahoma City 11-1 212

6 7 Columbia (Mo.) 14-1 211

7 9 Westmont (Calif.) 13-1 197

8 11 Wiley (Texas) 13-1 188

9 NR Dalton State (Ga.) 10-1 177

10 10 Mid-America 10-2 175

11 17 Montana Western 12-2 170

12 14 Pikeville (Ky.) 14-3 169

13 18 Talladega (Ala.) 13-4 155

14 25 Arizona Christian 12-1 130

15 RV MSU-Northern 13-1 126

16 19 Texas Wesleyan 11-2 123

17 23 Benedictine (Kan.) 9-3 120

18 8 William Carey (Miss.) 8-3 101

19 NR William Woods (Mo.) 11-3 99

20 RV Cumberlands (Ky.) 12-3 92

21 16 Dillard (La.) 8-5 76

21 NR The Master's (Calif.) 11-1 76

23 6 Carroll (Mont.) 11-3 71

23 RV LSU Shreveport (La.) 9-3 71

25 12 Park (Mo.) 7-3 66

Others Receiving Votes: Grand View (Iowa) 65; SAGU (Texas) 43; Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) 23; Faulkner (Ala.) 21; Graceland (Iowa) 15; Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 12; Langston (Okla.) 10; Hope International (Calif.) 9; Loyola (La.) 5; Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) 3.