SIOUX FALLS— The University of Sioux Falls Women's Basketball team, led by 12th-year head coach Travis Traphagen, have made a jump into the Top 10 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national polls released on Tuesday, Dec. 10 .
After being ranked 11th in the WBCA's fourth poll, the Cougars (9-0, 3-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC)) moved up to No. 7 in the WBCA poll released Tuesday. USF is ranked in the top 10 for the first time in program history.
This past weekend, the Cougars had a successful road trip at Concordia-St. Paul (62-57) and Minnesota State (66-61). Led by NSIC South Player of the Week Jacey Huinker, who averaged a double-double (11.5PPG, 11RPG) between the two contests, the Cougars came away with a clean sweep.
"But leave no doubt, I thought our team played some gritty basketball this weekend. With all the problems we had on the offensive end, we stayed in the game because we battled and refused to give in."
-Coach Traphagen
For the Cougars, this is the first time since their final year as a full-member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' (NAIA) Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) (2010-11) to be in the Top 10 nationally.
The 2010-11 season saw the Cougars make it to the GPAC Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinals and the NAIA Women's Basketball Division II National Championship Quarterfinals. In the final poll, the Cougars finished the 2010-11 season as the No. 6 team in NAIA Division II.
WBCA NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches Poll-
|
Rank
|
School (Record)
|
Total Points
|
First Place Votes
|
Previous Rank
|
|
1
|
Drury (8-0)
|
563
|
13
|
1
|
|
2
|
Lubbock Christian (8-0)
|
558
|
10
|
2
|
|
3
|
Grand Valley State (8-0)
|
526
|
0
|
3
|
|
4
|
Ashland (7-0)
|
483
|
0
|
6
|
|
5
|
Lee (TN) (9-0)
|
477
|
0
|
7
|
|
6
|
Saint Anselm (6-0)
|
459
|
0
|
8
|
|
7
|
Sioux Falls (9-0)
|
403
|
0
|
11
|
|
8
|
Azusa Pacific (7-1)
|
374
|
0
|
4
|
|
9
|
Virginia Union (5-1)
|
364
|
0
|
10
|
|
10
|
Texas A&M-Commerce (8-0)
|
350
|
0
|
12
|
|
11
|
California (PA) (7-1)
|
313
|
0
|
9
|
|
12
|
Alaska Anchorage (9-1)
|
308
|
0
|
13
|
|
13
|
Indiana (PA) (8-1)
|
287
|
0
|
13
|
|
14
|
North Georgia (7-1)
|
244
|
0
|
15
|
|
15
|
Anderson (SC) (7-1)
|
211
|
0
|
16
|
|
16
|
West Texas A&M (8-2)
|
202
|
0
|
17
|
|
17
|
Westminster (UT) (8-1)
|
171
|
0
|
18
|
|
18
|
Southeastern Oklahoma State (5-1)
|
163
|
0
|
20
|
|
19
|
Fort Hays State (6-2)
|
162
|
0
|
5
|
|
20
|
Hawaii Pacific (5-1)
|
141
|
0
|
24
|
|
21
|
Adelphi (9-0)
|
102
|
0
|
NR
|
|
22
|
UC San Diego (6-2)
|
90
|
0
|
21
|
|
23
|
Emporia State (7-2)
|
73
|
0
|
NR
|
|
24
|
Minnesota State Moorhead (8-2)
|
69
|
0
|
22
|
|
25
|
Southwestern Oklahoma State (7-2)
|
61
|
0
|
25
|
Dropped Out: No. 19 Cal State San Marcos (7-1); No. 23 University of the Sciences (7-3).
Others receiving votes: Cal State San Marcos (7-1) 56; Lindenwood (5-0) 46; Bowie State (7-0) 29; St. Thomas Aquinas (7-1) 22; University of the Sciences (7-3) 18; Belmont Abbey (7-1) 17; Bentley (7-3) 17; Central Oklahoma (8-2) 16; Lincoln (PA) (8-1) 15; Union (TN) (8-2) 15; Florida Southern (5-4) 14; Walsh (7-2) 12; Benedict (6-2) 10; Catawba (7-0) 7.
8 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 26 combined points.
Other Polls/Rankings-
The Cougars also made the second largest jump in the latest D2SIDA National Poll of any team that was in the previous installment, jumping six spots.
On Monday, the Cougars moved into the Power 10 rankings, according to Turner Sports' Wayne Cavadi, at ninth. This is after starting the season in a very tough schedule 9--0, a schedule that included a true road game against No. 20 Hawai'i Pacific in Honolulu during the Malika Sports Tour Oahu Thanksgiving Classic, and an early-season home win over an up-and-coming No. 23 Emporia State.
In addition to the Power 10 rankings, USF earned the top spot in the D2SIDA Central Region Poll, receiving all six first place votes, and subsequently the most points a team can receive in their respective region (60).
A Look Ahead-
Now with a larger target on their back from conference foes, the Cougars will return to Ron Eiesland Court at the Stewart Center this weekend to host Minnesota Duluth at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, and St. Cloud State at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
