LILBURN, Ga.— The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball team reached new heights on Tuesday, earning their highest ever ranking of No. 19 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Poll released Tuesday.
The Cougars earned a spot in the Top 25 of the WBCA Poll for only the second time (Feb. 9, 2016) since joining NCAA Division II, as well as their highest ranking, after going 2-0 this past week in two strong showings. First was a battle with a then regionally-ranked Emporia State at the Stewart Center, where the Cougars took the contest 77-68. They followed the battle with a 100-77 blowout of Northern State Intercollegiate Conference-foe Southwest Minnesota State, again at the Stewart Center.
The Cougars will have a trio of opportunities to improve on their record and move up when they play their first games away from the Stewart Center. In Honolulu, Hawai'i, the Cougars will face Hawai'i Hilo, Hawai'i Pacific, and Chaminade. Of the three, Hawai'i Pacific is in the same position USF was last week in that the Sharks are one of the first teams out of the Top 25 and facing a team ahead of them in the standings.
Also coming out earlier this week were the D2SIDA regional and national polls. The Cougars have made moves in those, with the Cougars reaching the D2SIDA poll for the first time, sitting at the No. 21 spot in the poll released Tuesday. In the regional poll, NSIC USF moved up two spots from fifth to third, behind only Fort Hays State and NSIC North favorite MSU Moorhead.
WBCA NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Top 25 Poll - Nov. 26
|
Rank
|
School (Record)
|
Total Points
|
1st-Place Votes
|
Previous Rank
|
|
1
|
Drury (4-0)
|
555
|
10
|
1
|
|
2
|
Lubbock Christian (5-0)
|
537
|
12
|
2
|
|
3
|
Grand Valley State (5-0)
|
511
|
0
|
3
|
|
4
|
Azusa Pacific (4-0)
|
496
|
1
|
4
|
|
5
|
Fort Hays State (4-0)
|
481
|
0
|
5
|
|
6
|
Ashland (4-0)
|
428
|
0
|
7
|
|
7
|
Lee (TN) (6-0)
|
400
|
0
|
10
|
|
8
|
Saint Anselm (4-0)
|
399
|
0
|
8
|
|
9
|
California (PA) (7-0)
|
360
|
0
|
13
|
|
10
|
Alaska Anchorage (5-0)
|
334
|
0
|
11
|
|
11
|
Minnesota State Moorhead (5-0)
|
329
|
0
|
12
|
|
12
|
North Georgia (6-0)
|
319
|
0
|
15
|
|
13
|
Virginia Union (4-1)
|
279
|
0
|
14
|
|
14
|
UC San Diego (4-1)
|
229
|
0
|
6
|
|
15
|
Indiana (PA) (4-1)
|
220
|
0
|
16
|
|
16
|
University of the Sciences (5-1)
|
210
|
0
|
18
|
|
17
|
Anderson (SC) (4-1)
|
178
|
0
|
9
|
|
18
|
Southeastern Oklahoma State (4-0)
|
140
|
0
|
NR
|
|
19
|
Sioux Falls (4-0)
|
127
|
0
|
NR
|
|
20
|
Texas A&M-Commerce (5-0)
|
123
|
0
|
NR
|
|
21
|
West Texas A&M (5-2)
|
110
|
0
|
21
|
|
22
|
Stonehill (4-1)
|
84
|
0
|
NR
|
|
23
|
Westminster (UT) (5-1)
|
79
|
0
|
23
|
|
24
|
Benedict (4-1)
|
75
|
0
|
25
|
|
25
|
Southwestern Oklahoma State (4-2)
|
63
|
0
|
17
|
Dropped out: No. 18 Harding (3-2); No. 20 Carson-Newman (4-2); No. 22 Glenville State (3-2); No. 24 Union (TN) (4-2).
Others receiving votes: Eckerd (2-0) 56; Hawaii Pacific (4-0) 47; St. Thomas Aquinas (6-0) 32; Union (TN) (4-2) 30; Harding (3-2) 20; Carson-Newman (4-2) 18; Tusculum (5-1) 17; Central Missouri (2-2) 16; Lindenwood (3-0) 16; Tampa (2-1) 16; Walsh (5-1) 16; Tarleton State (4-1) 15; Bentley (3-2) 14; Cal State San Marcos (5-0) 13; Southern Nazarene (4-0) 13; Nova Southeastern (1-3) 12; Bowie State (2-0) 10; Emporia State (3-2) 9; Delta State (4-1) 8; Florida Southern (4-2) 7; Glenville State (3-2) 6; Lincoln (PA) (6-1) 6; Angelo State (2-2) 3; Limestone (4-0) 3; Lander (3-2) 2; Western Washington (4-2) 2; Adelphi (5-0) 1; Central Oklahoma (4-1) 1.
8 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 32 combined points.
D2SIDA National Top 25 Poll-
| Rank |
School (First-Place Votes) |
W-L |
Pts. |
Prev. |
| 1 |
Lubbock Christian (14) |
5-0 |
393 |
1 |
| 2 |
Drury (2) |
4-0 |
383 |
2 |
| 3 |
Fort Hays State |
4-0 |
363 |
3 |
| 4 |
Azusa Pacific |
4-0 |
351 |
4 |
| 5 |
Cal U |
7-0 |
329 |
8 |
| 6 |
Grand Valley |
5-0 |
310 |
7 |
| 7 |
Saint Anselm |
4-0 |
306 |
9 |
| 8 |
Lee |
6-0 |
300 |
10 |
| 9 |
North Georgia |
6-0 |
269 |
T11 |
| 10 |
Ashland |
4-0 |
243 |
T11 |
| 11 |
MSU-Moorhead |
5-0 |
229 |
13 |
| 12 |
Alaska Anchorage |
5-0 |
224 |
17 |
| 13 |
Virginia Union |
4-1 |
187 |
14 |
| 14 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
5-0 |
181 |
22 |
| 15 |
Anderson |
4-1 |
175 |
5 |
| 16 |
USciences |
5-1 |
170 |
18 |
| 17 |
Cal State San Marcos |
5-0 |
120 |
RV |
| 18 |
Valdosta State |
4-0 |
118 |
RV |
| 19 |
IUP |
5-1 |
104 |
24 |
| 20 |
St. Thomas Aquinas |
6-0 |
94 |
25 |
| 21 |
Sioux Falls |
4-0 |
84 |
NR |
| 22 |
Westminster |
5-1 |
73 |
16 |
| 23 |
Hawaii Pacific |
4-0 |
61 |
RV |
| 24 |
Arkansas-Monticello |
6-0 |
31 |
NR |
| 25 |
Florida Southern |
4-2 |
21 |
NR |
Dropped Out: UC San Diego, Delta State, Harding, Glenville State, Carson-Newman, Union
Receiving Votes: Glenville State (20), Adelphi (20), UC San Diego (19), Tusculum (12), Delta State (5), Limestone (2), Southwestern Okla. (1), Stonehill (1), West Texas A&M (1)
D2SIDA Central Region Poll-
| CENTRAL |
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Record |
Points |
Prev. |
| 1 |
Fort Hays State (4) |
4-0 |
58 |
1 |
| 2 |
MSU-Moorhead (2) |
5-0 |
53 |
2 |
| 3 |
Sioux Falls |
4-0 |
44 |
5 |
| 4 |
Arkansas-Monticello |
6-0 |
33 |
RV |
| 5 |
Southwestern Okla. |
4-2 |
26 |
5 |
| 6 |
Southeastern Okla. |
4-0 |
25 |
RV |
| 7 |
Southern Nazarene |
4-0 |
21 |
RV |
| 8 |
Nebraska-Kearney |
5-0 |
20 |
T8 |
| 9 |
Central Oklahoma |
4-1 |
14 |
RV |
| 10 |
Winona State |
4-0 |
12 |
NR |
Receiving Votes: Central Missouri (8), Southwest Minn. State (6), St. Cloud State (4), Pitt State (2), Washburn (2), Emporia State (1), Henderson State (1)
