Thursday, October 26, 2017

Gold Nuggets picked 2nd in GCAC, 30th nationally

NEW ORLEANS — Though it's just a preseason snapshot, Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball has gained ground in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference and the NAIA compared to one year ago.
     

In preseason coaches polls announced Tuesday, the Gold Nuggets were picked to finish in a second-place tie in the GCAC, and they were 30th of the 31 NAIA Division I teams receiving votes for the national top 25.
     

A year ago XULA was picked third in the GCAC and 32nd nationally. The Gold Nuggets followed that by tying for third in the GCAC regular season, finishing second in the tournament and collecting zero points in the final four polls before the national tournament, which XULA missed for just the fourth time in its last 23 opportuntities and the second time in the last three seasons.
     

XULA returns 10 letterwomen from last season's 19-13 team, including four of its top five scorers. The Gold Nuggets will open at 6 p.m. Thursday at city rival Loyola, which is No. 20 nationally. The Gold Nuggets' home opener will start at 1 p.m. Sunday against Southeastern (Fla.) — No. 4 in the preseason in NAIA Division II — at the Convocation Center.
    

 Dillard, which hasn't won a GCAC regular-season or tournament championship since 2003-04 — the Gold Nuggets have won a combined 11 titles since then — was picked to win the league. XULA shared second with Philander Smith. Last year's regular-season and tournament champion, Talladega, was fourth, followed by Edward Waters, Tougaloo and SUNO.
    

Despite its No. 1 ranking in the GCAC, Dillard received zero points nationally. The only GCAC team in the top 25 is Talladega, which outpolled Pikeville by two points to grab the 25th position. Future XULA opponents in the top 25 are No. 8 Lindsey Wilson and No. 13 Our Lady of the Lake — both will visit the Gold Nuggets in December.
     

Also announced Tuesday was the preseason All-GCAC team, but the Gold Nuggets had no representatives.


GCAC Women's Basketball
2017-18 Coaches Poll
RankSchool
1Dillard
2-tieXULA
2-tiePhilander Smith
4Talladega
5Edward Waters
6Tougaloo
7SUNO

XULA in previous GCAC polls
2016-17 — 3rd
2015-16 — 1st
2014-15 — 1st
2013-14 — 1st
2012-13 — 1st
2011-12 — 1st
2010-11 — 1st
2009-10 — 2nd
2008-09 — 1st
     2007-08 — 2nd
2006-07 — 3rd
2004-05 — 1st
2003-04 — 2nd
2002-03 — 2nd
2001-02 — 1st
1999-2000 — 1st
1993-94 — 1st


2017-18 Preseason All-GCAC
Women's Basketball
PlayerSchool
Shaelynn MooreDillard
Alyssa WashingtonDillard
Terralyn DominickPhilander Smith
Jasmine Lee-StackhouseTalladega
Montoria AtkinsonTougaloo
Jermisha CollinsEdward Waters
Brittany RowellEdward Waters
GCAC Preseason Player of the Year:  Shaelynn Moore, Dillard

NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches'
Preseason Top 25 Poll

(first-place votes in parentheses — records from 2016-17)

RankTeamRecordPointsLast
1Oklahoma City (8)34-2219tie-5
2Lewis-Clark State35-22072
3Freed-Hardeman35-12041
4Vanguard30-4200tie-5
5Shawnee State (1)31-31963
6Campbellsville28-718610
7Westmont29-51747
8Lindsey Wilson32-31704
9Benedictine (Kan.)25-916713
10Baker (Kan.)30-51508
11Bethel (Tenn.)24-1114218
12John Brown23-914119
13Our Lady of the Lake24-913316
14Lyon28-61259
15Central Methodist24-1011720
16-tieMontana Western24-911621
16-tieColumbia (Mo.)26-711612
18The Master's23-911117
19MidAmerica Nazarene18-1486RV
20Loyola (N.O.)26-78122
21Montana State-Northern24-97811
22Cumberland15-1277NR
23Wayland Baptist25-76315
24Loyola (N.O.)22-105525
25Carroll (Mont.)22-94824

Dropped from previous rankings:  No. 14 Biola, No. 23 Pikeville  

 
Others receiving votes:  Pikeville 46, Martin Methodist 41, LSU-Shreveport 31, Carroll (Mont.) 28, XULA 15, William Woods 12


Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com

XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA 
twitter.com/xulagold
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