Gold Nuggets remain 32nd in NAIA coaches poll

NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana gained six points from the preseason but remained 32nd in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll announced Tuesday.
Including the 2015-16 season, it's the seventh time in the last eight polls that the Gold Nuggets are in the "others receiving votes" category.

XULA is 6-6 after playing one of the NAIA's most difficult schedules to date this season. The best victory was 71-67 Nov. 11 against then-No. 3 Our Lady of the Lake in the LSUS Classic at Shreveport, La. The Gold Nuggets also defeated then-No. 29 Langston and split a pair with then-No. 26 LSUS. But OLLU fell to 21st Tuesday, and Langston and LSUS received no points.

XULA's losses include city rival Loyola, which climbed from 24th to 22nd; Lewis-Clark State, 13-0 and No. 2 after a No. 7 preseason ranking; and Carroll (Mont.), which still is 25th.

XULA is one of two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference teams receiving votes. Talladega, 21st in the preseason, dropped to 26th. Edward Waters, which was tied for 30th in the preseason, had zero points this time.

Freed-Hardeman replaced MidAmerica Nazarene at No. 1. MNU fell to third. The next poll will be announced Jan. 3.

The Gold Nuggets' next opponent will be Concordia (Ala.) at 1 p.m. Dec. 15 in XULA's Convocation Center. Concordia is 7-1 against 4-year colleges, 10-1 overall and No. 1 in the season's first United States Collegiate Athletic Association poll.

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Top 25 Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses — records through Dec. 4)

Rank Team Record Points Last
1 Freed-Hardeman (8) 8-0 219 8
2 Lewis-Clark State (1) 13-0 207 7
3 MidAmerica Nazarene 7-1 206 1
4 Westmont 6-1 199 2
5 Lindsey Wilson 9-0 195 5
6-tie Vanguard 6-1 178 6
6-tie Campbellsville 7-2 178 4
8 Lyon 7-1 168 9
9 Oklahoma City 8-1 159 19
10 Shawnee State 12-0 158 tie-11
11 Montana State-Northern 8-2 147 16
12 Baker 8-1 143 13
13 Columbia (Mo.) 8-1 128 20
14-tie Benedictine (Kan.) 7-3 126 tie-11
14-tie Great Falls 9-2 126 18
16 The Master's 6-1 120 14
17 Central Methodist 7-2 102 15
18 Bethel (Tenn.) 5-4 99 10
19 Cumberland 9-2 96 23
20 John Brown 7-4 87 RV
21 Our Lady of the Lake 3-5 83 3
22 Loyola (N.O.) 7-2 62 24
23 Lindenwood-Belleville 6-2 61 NR
24 Pikeville 8-3 58 17
25 Carroll (Mont.) 8-2 53 25

Dropped from previous rankings: No. 21 Talladega, No. 22 Wayland Baptist
Others receiving votes: Talladega 39, Wayland Baptist 28, Martin Methodist 15, Wiley 14, Montana Western 13, Harris-Stowe 12, XULA 11, William Penn 6, William Woods 5, San Diego Christian 3

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