Nuggets return to 16th, Rush drop to 19th in NAIA polls

NEW ORLEANS — A 3-0 week at home helped the Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climb one place to 16th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll.

The poll, the fifth of the season, was announced late Monday afternoon, just before Xavier's home doubleheader against Philander Smith.

Xavier is 19th in the men's poll after tying for 18th a week ago.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 23rd consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 16th time in 17 polls.

XU's women defeated Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents SUNO, Edward Waters and Fisk to extend a winning streak they started four days before Christmas. Then they defeated Philander Smith 56-27 for their eighth consecutive victory and longest streak since 2010.

In five polls this season the XU women have ranked 16th or 17th.

The Gold Rush had a 2-1 week at home, losing to SUNO in overtime, then beating Edward Waters and Fisk. The XU men then rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Philander Smith 87-80 and spoil a 45-point performance — best among NAIA men this season — by the Panthers' Ken Brown.

Both Xavier teams will conclude a five-game home stand with a GCAC doubleheader Saturday against Talladega at The Barn. The women's game will start at 5 p.m., and the men's game will start at 7. Xavier and Talladega are two of three women's teams unbeaten in conference.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 25th in the men's poll and returned to the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 5. Tougaloo will play host to Xavier in a doubleheader Monday.

Oklahoma City's women, a unanimous No. 1 in the previous three polls, dropped to second after an 88-66 home loss to Lubbock Christian. Freed-Hardeman, a 66-54 winner at home against perennial power Union (Tenn.), climbed from third to first. Freed-Hardeman is the third No. 1 women's team this season.

Unbeaten Shorter became the fifth men's team to reach No. 1 this season. The Hawks swapped places with Oklahoma Baptist, which dropped to No. 2.

Xavier is one of 10 schools, one fewer than the previous poll, with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Campbellsville, Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Lindsey Wilson, Robert Morris (Chicago), Saint Xavier, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 15)

Rank Team Record Points Last

1 Freed-Hardeman (11) 15-2 312 3

2 Oklahoma City (1) 15-1 299 1
3 Union (Tenn.) 16-2 293 2
4 Westmont 16-1 278 4
5 Langston 16-0 273 5
6 Lee (Tenn.) 16-1 257 7

7 Lewis-Clark State 17-2 256 6

8 Cumberlands 16-1 244 8

9 Lubbock Christian 12-3 225 12

10 Vanguard 11-3 218 tie-10

11 Saint Xavier 13-4 215 tie-10

12 Shawnee State 14-4 212 9
13 Azusa Pacific 11-5 189 13
14 Olivet Nazarene 14-5 181 14
15 Southern Nazarene 13-4 174 16
16 Xavier 14-5 161 17
17 Campbellsville 13-6 149 18
18-tie Georgetown (Ky.) 12-6 136 15
18-tie Belhaven 14-5 136 19
20 Lindsey Wilson 14-5 114 20

21 Westminster (Utah) 11-6 106 24

22 Robert Morris (Chicago) 12-3 95 23

23 Loyola 14-1 87 RV

24 MidAmerica Nazarene 13-5 81 RV

25 William Woods 11-5 73 22

Others receiving votes: Lyon 71, Shorter 63, Columbia (Mo.) 26, Rogers State 26, LSU-Shreveport 13, Avila 10, Rio Grande 4, Park 3, Montana Western 3, Point Loma Nazarene 1, Oklahoma Baptist 1, Martin Methodist 1, Our Lady of the Lake 1, St. Catharine 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Jan. 15)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Shorter (9) 17-0 280 2
2 Oklahoma Baptist (1) 15-1 269 1
3 Robert Morris (Chicago) (1) 16-1 267 3
4 Southern Poly 13-2 240 10
5 Rogers State 15-2 238 8
6 Concordia (Calif.) 14-3 231 4
7-tie Azusa Pacific 14-3 224 7
7-tie Georgetown (Ky.) 15-3 224 5
9 Martin Methodist 13-3 223 9
10 Our Lady of the Lake 13-3 199 17
11 Lindsey Wilson 13-4 189 14

12 Montana State Northern 17-2 184 13

13 Texas Wesleyan 12-3 169 6

14 Southern Nazarene 13-4 165 12

15 Mountain State 12-6 157 11
16 Westmont 13-2 133 RV
17 Evangel 14-5 132 15

18 Lee (Tenn.) 11-3 126 21

19 Xavier 12-5 104 tie-18

20 Campbellsville 13-5 102 22

21 Saint Xavier 13-4 96 25

22 Montana Western 15-5 86 23
23 Cumberland 12-3 83 RV
24 Columbia (Mo.) 14-5 68 RV
25 Tougaloo 14-5 59 RV

Others receiving votes: The Master's 49, Freed-Hardeman 43, Oklahoma City 31, Southwestern Assemblies of God 21, Cal State San Marcos 21, Pikeville 21, Westminster (Utah) 16, MidAmerica Nazarene 10, Missouri Baptist 1, Science & Arts 1, Cumberlands 1, Oklahoma Christian 1, Wiley 1, Union (Tenn.) 1, Rocky Mountain 1, Benedictine (Kan.) 1, Life 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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