Nuggets climb one spot, earn three-way tie for 13th

NEW ORLEANS  — Xavier University of Louisiana climbed into a tie for 13th place Tuesday with Freed-Hardeman and Oklahoma City in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

The Gold Nuggets, 12-5 after a 68-61 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference home victory Monday against Philander Smith, will take a 3-game win streak into a 6 p.m. Wednesday non-conference game at the University of Mobile. This is Xavier's third consecutive top-15 appearance, and it's the second time in 10 seasons that the Gold Nuggets have ranked that highly in at least three straight polls. Xavier in 2012-13 was top 15 in 12 consecutive polls.

Xavier was No. 14 this past week. This is the 147th time in Bo Browder's 17 seasons as head coach that the Gold Nuggets have been in the top 25.

GCAC member Talladega is in the top 25 for the second consecutive week. The Lady Tornadoes, who climbed from 23rd to 21st, will play host to Xavier at 3 p.m. Saturday.

For the second straight week, Westmont is No. 1 after receiving 8-of-9 first-place votes.

The Gold Nuggets' next home game will start at 5:30 p.m. Monday against GCAC opponent Tougaloo at XU's Convocation Center.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Jan. 10)
Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Westmont (8) 14-1 219 1
2 Campbellsville 15-3 206 3
3 Bethel (Tenn.) 13-3 201 4
4 Our Lady of the Lake 12-2 195 6
5 Carroll (Mont.) 13-2 189 5
6 Columbia (Mo.) (1) 16-0 185 8
7 Benedictine (Kan.) 14-1 180 7
8 Montana State-Northern 13-2 179 2
9 Shawnee State 15-2 160 tie-9
10 MidAmerica Nazarene 11-3 158 tie-9
11 Lyon 13-2 153 11
12 Vanguard 9-3 148 12
13-tie Xavier 11-5 123 14
13-tie Freed-Hardeman 11-5 123 13
13-tie Oklahoma City 7-4 123 15
16 The Master's 12-2 118 16
17 Pikeville 16-0 115 20
18 Langston 9-3 105 17
19 Cumberland 11-5 92 18
20 Lewis-Clark State 13-3 79 RV
21 Talladega 12-3 76 23
22 Lindsey Wilson 14-3 69 25
23 Wayland Baptist 8-4 60 RV
24 Wiley 10-1 57 RV
25 Loyola 11-3 49 RV

Dropped from rankings: No. 19 John Brown, No. 21 Baker, No. 22 Rocky Mountain, No. 24 Martin Methodist

Others receiving votes: Great Falls 43, Central Methodist 43, John Brown 18, Rocky Mountain 18, Auburn Montgomery 14, Culver-Stockton 6, Baker 3, Hope International 3, William Woods 3

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