Nuggets in NAIA preseason top 25 for 6th straight year

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana was 21st in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 poll announced Tuesday. The Gold Nuggets, 18-15 in 2014-15, are in the preseason top 25 for the sixth consecutive season.

Xavier, announced earlier this month as the preseason coaches pick to win the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, is in the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 9, 2014.

Five XU opponents made the top 25, including home opponents Shawnee State (Nov. 26, ranked 16th), Langston (Nov. 27, 18th) and LSU-Shreveport (Jan. 2, 25th). Another home opponent, Eastern Oregon, was 14th in the NAIA Division II poll. The Gold Nuggets will play EOU Nov. 21 for homecoming.

SUNO, which won the GCAC regular season and tournament a year ago, was among others receiving votes and was 27th.

The Gold Nuggets will open their season with games in Florida at Webber International ar 5 p.m. EDT Saturday and at Warner at 7 p.m. EST Monday. The first XU home game will start at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 against LeMoyne-Owen at the Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2014-15 season)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Campbellsville (8) 33-4 219 2
2 Freed-Hardeman (1) 35-2 209 3
3 Vanguard 22-8 201 16
4 Bethel (Tenn.) 32-4 199 4
5 Westmont 27-7 195 7
6 Montana State-Northern 29-6 178 8
7-tie Our Lady of the Lake 27-7 171 10
7-tie Oklahoma City 30-2 171 1
9 MidAmerica Nazarene 27-7 170 11
10 Wayland Baptist 19-12 155 22
11 Great Falls 24-10 140 tie-12
12 Cumberland 16-13 133 RV
13 Loyola 27-4 130 tie-12
14 The Master's 24-9 124 19
15 Benedictine (Kan.) 26-9 119 17
16 Shawnee State 25-10 116 15
17 Lyon 27-7 115 20
18 Langston 29-4 114 14
19 Lewis-Clark State 21-11 92 RV
20 Martin Methodist 25-8 73 RV
21 Xavier 18-15 60 NR
22 Pikeville 23-9 59 23
23 Baker 21-10 57 25
24 Carroll (Mont.) 18-11 54 24
25 LSU-Shreveport 20-12 51 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 5 Westminster (Utah), No. 6 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 9 Concordia (Calif.), No. 18 Wiley, No. 21 SUNO
Others receiving votes: Texas Wesleyan 48, SUNO 35, Wiley 22, Auburn Montgomery 18, Columbia (Mo.) 16, Lindsey Wilson 10, Hope International 10, William Woods 9, Mid-America Christian 7, John Brown 6, Culver-Stockton 3

Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
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