More votes for Nuggets, but still short of NAIA's top 25

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavier University of Louisiana received more support Tuesday in the NAIA Division I women's basketball coaches poll but still fell short of the top 25.

The Gold Nuggets (13-6) received 39 points and are 27th overall. They needed 60 points to reach the top 25. Xavier received five points and was 34th one week ago.

Helping Xavier's climb was a 74-52 home victory Saturday against Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and city rival SUNO, which was tied for 28th last week.

It's the third poll in a row that Xavier is out of the top 25 after 45 consecutive appearances. The Gold Nuggets were 15sth in the preseason.

"If we keep winning, everything else will take care of itself," said XU coach Bo Browder, whose team has won nine of its last 10 games. "When we're ready to play, we can compete with anybody. When we're not ready to play, we can lose to anybody."

The GCAC's lone top-25 team is Talladega, which climbed from 12th to 10th. The Lady Tornadoes will visit Xavier at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Xavier will play host to Edward Waters at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Vanguard received 9-of-10 first-place votes and is No. 1 for the fourth time in as many polls this season.

The next rankings will be announced next Tuesday (Jan. 21).

The top 25:

1. Vanguard
2. Freed-Hardeman
3. Oklahoma City
4. Westminster (Utah)
5. MidAmerica Nazarene
6. Oklahoma Baptist
7. Georgetown (Ky.)
8. Campbellsville
9. The Master's
10. Talladega
11. Our Lady of the Lake
12. Westmont
13. Bethel (Tenn.)
14. Wiley
15. Montana State-Northern
16. Coastal Georgia
17. Columbia (Mo.)
18. Lewis-Clark State
19. John Brown
20. Hope International
21. Baker
22. Cumberlands
23. Benedictine (Kan.)
24. Martin Methodist
25. LSU-Shreveport

By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAATHLETICS
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA