XU Nuggets climb to 19th; Rush 25th for fourth straight week

NEW ORLEANS — The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climbed two places to 19th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll. Xavier is 25th in the men's poll for the fourth consecutive week.

The polls, the 10th of the season, were announced Monday afternoon before Xavier's Gulf Coast Athletic Conference doubleheader at Fisk.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 28th consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 21st time in 22 polls.

Both XU teams were 2-0 this past week. The Gold Nuggets (20-8) won 52-46 at home against Tougaloo and 60-53 at Edward Waters. The Gold Rush (20-7) rallied from 16 down to beat Tougaloo 67-61, then won 68-57 at Edward Waters.

he Tougaloo doubleheader was the final night of XU basketball at The Barn. A 4,500-seat arena, which is still under construction, will replace XU's 75-year-old gymnasium next season.

The Rush failed to climb despite a victory against Tougaloo, which entered the game 18th. Yet Tougaloo climbed one place to 17th.

Oklahoma City's women and Oklahoma Baptist's men are the top-ranked teams. Oklahoma City was a unanimous No. 1 for the fourth straight week, and Oklahoma Baptist replaced Shorter at the top.

Receiving votes for the second straight week was GCAC newcomer Talladega, whose women collected 10 points, five more than a week ago, and are 33rd.

Xavier is one of 10 schools with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Campbellsville, Columbia (Mo.), Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Rogers State, Shorter, Southern Nazarene and Westmont. A week ago there were 11 such schools.

Both XU teams will close the regular season Saturday at longtime city and GCAC rival Dillard, then travel to Jacksonville, Fla., for the GCAC Tournament on March 1-3.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Feb. 19)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Oklahoma City (12) 25-1 312 1
2 Union (Tenn.) 27-2 302 2
3 Freed-Hardeman 24-4 292 3
4 Lee (Tenn.) 28-1 282 4
5 Westmont 25-2 272 6
6 Lubbock Christian 22-4 261 7
7 Shawnee State 23-4 246 9
8 Cumberlands 23-3 242 5
9 Langston 25-2 229 10
10 Olivet Nazarene 25-3 225 11
11 Vanguard 20-5 211 12
12 Azusa Pacific 20-6 199 13
13 Lewis-Clark State 23-4 193 8
14 Saint Xavier 20-7 183 14
15 Southern Nazarene 21-7 167 15
16 Westminster (Utah) 18-7 164 18
17 Georgetown (Ky.) 19-8 157 17
18 Belhaven 22-6 151 16
19 Xavier 20-8 125 21
20 Shorter 23-5 119 22
21 Campbellsville 18-10 103 20
22 MidAmerica Nazarene 20-8 100 24
23 Loyola 21-4 99 19
24 Columbia (Mo.) 20-8 88 25
25 Rogers State 18-10 56 RV

Others receiving votes: Avila 50, LSU-Shreveport 48, St. Catharine 26, Biola 23, Lyon 19, William Woods 16, Lindsey Wilson 12, Talladega 10, Robert Morris (Chicago) 1, Montana State Northern 1, Our Lady of the Lake 1, San Diego Christian 1, St. Gregory's 1.

NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Sunday, Feb. 19)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Oklahoma Baptist (9) 24-3 310 2
2 Shorter (3) 26-2 302 1
3 Robert Morris (Chicago) 24-3 294 3
4 Concordia (Calif.) 22-5 273 11
5 Southern Poly 22-5 268 4
6 Martin Methodist 22-6 261 6
7 Our Lady of the Lake 21-6 248 7
8 Lindsey Wilson 18-8 231 16
9 Mountain State 21-7 230 9
10 Rogers State 21-6 228 5
11 Texas Wesleyan 21-5 193 12
12 Point Loma Nazarene 18-7 188 RV
13-tie Georgetown (Ky.) 20-7 185 10
13-tie Montana Western 21-7 185 15
15 John Brown 22-6 182 13
16 Lee (Tenn.) 19-7 177 14
17 Tougaloo 22-6 142 18
18 Columbia (Mo.) 22-6 138 20
19 LSU-Shreveport 19-7 117 19
20 Campbellsville 20-8 112 RV
21 Westmont 18-7 101 8
22 Montana State Northern 22-6 99 22
23 Southern Nazarene 20-8 87 23
24 Azusa Pacific 21-7 85 17
25 Xavier 20-7 82 25

Others receiving votes: Cumberland 75, MidAmerica Nazarene 67, Evangel 26, Cal State San Marcos 21, Saint Xavier 16, Freed-Hardeman 14, Southwestern Assemblies of God 9, Olivet Nazarene 8, Westminster (Utah) 5, Cumberlands 5, Union (Tenn.) 1, Biola 1, Baker 1, Pikeville 1, Harris-Stowe 1, Voorhees 1, St. Catharine 1, Oklahoma Christian 1.

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
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