Benedict Women Up To #13 In D2 Rankings
By BC SID
COLUMBIA, S.C. (BC SID) — The Benedict College women’s basketball team climbed two spots to 13th in this week’s USA Today Sports Division II women’s basketball poll. Benedict moved up one spot in the Women’s Basketball Division II Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA, climbing to No. 15.
The Lady Tigers are 19-1 overall and have won 14 consecutive games. They received 285 points from the panel of 27 Division II women’s basketball coaches.
Benedict is the only SIAC team ranked in the top 25 and one of five teams from the South Region. Kentucky State received votes in the USA Today poll.
Benedict received 179 points in the Media Poll. They are one of four teams representing the South Region in that poll.
The Lady Tigers, 9-1 in the SIAC, travel to Clark Atlanta on Thursday, then will travel to face rival Claflin on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 women’s basketball coaches’ poll, with first place votes to the right, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th.
| Rank | Institution – First Place Votes | Previous Rank | Record | Total Points |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian University (Texas) – 7 | 2 | 17-0 | 568 |
| 2 | University of Alaska – Anchorage – 14 | 1 | 22-1 | 567 |
| 3 | Ashland University (Ohio) – 1 | 4 | 18-0 | 543 |
| 4 | California Baptist University | 6 | 18-1 | 497 |
| 5 | Limestone College (S.C.) – 2 | 7 | 15-0 | 488 |
| 6 | Missouri Western State | 5 | 18-1 | 467 |
| T7 | Fort Hays State University (Kan.) | 3 | 17-2 | 442 |
| T7 | West Texas A&M University | 8 | 18-1 | 442 |
| 9 | Lewis University (Ill.) | 9 | 18-1 | 424 |
| 10 | Winona State University (Minn.) | 14 | 19-2 | 328 |
| 11 | Emporia State University (Kan.) | 12 | 15-3 | 301 |
| 12 | Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) | 10 | 16-2 | 291 |
| 13 | Benedict College (S.C.) | 15 | 19-1 | 285 |
| 14 | Union University (Tenn.) | 16 | 17-2 | 251 |
| 15 | Anderson University (S.C.) | 11 | 12-2 | 243 |
| 16 | Quincy University (Ill.) | 18 | 17-1 | 238 |
| 17 | West Liberty University (W.Va.) | 13 | 16-2 | 216 |
| 18 | Drury University (Mo.) | 19 | 14-3 | 188 |
| 19 | Clayton State University (Ga.) | 22 | 16-1 | 185 |
| 20 | Virginia Union University | 17 | 13-2 | 182 |
| 21 | Arkansas Tech University | 20 | 13-2 | 169 |
| 22 | Delta State University (Miss.) | 24 | 14-2 | 122 |
| 23 | Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) | 25 | 16-3 | 81 |
| 24 | Florida Southern College | NR | 16-2 | 59 |
| 25 | University of California – San Diego | 21 | 15-3 | 47 |
Dropped Out: Columbus State University (Ga.).
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine University (Ky.) 36; University Of Sioux Falls (S.D.) 26; Columbus State University (Ga.) 21; Bentley University (Mass.) 14; Northern State University (S.D.) 10; Pittsburg State University (Kan.) 10; California State University – Dominguez Hills 9; Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 7; Colorado School of Mines 5; Kentucky State University 5; Texas Woman’s University 5.
5 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 28 combined points.
The USA TODAY Sports committee of coaches is made up of 27 head coaches at Division II institutions. All are members of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The 2015-16 committee: Chris Kielsmeier (Wayne State University (Neb.)), Chancellor Dugan (Bellarmine University) and Claudette Charney (Hillsdale College) – Non-voting Chairs, Suzy Barcomb (California State University – East Bay), Mark Miller (Holy Family University), Jacques Curtis (Shaw University), Russ Gregg (Erskin College), Beth Naumovski (Queens College), Tim Kirby (Harding University), Kirk Martin (Cedarville University), Carrie Lohr (Wayne State University (Mich.)), Katie Vaughn (University of Missouri – St. Louis), Julie Heisey (Seattle Pacific University), Scott Groninger (University of West Georgia), Jason Martens (St. Mary’s University), Noel Johnson (Midwestern State University), Ronda Hubbard (Missouri Southern State University), Kristin Kunzman (University of Virginia – Wise), Trisha Brown (Stonehill College), Sheila Green-Gerding (Minot State University), Jarrod Olson (California Baptist University), Mike Brandt (University of South Carolina – Aiken), Jess Strom (California University of Pennsylvania), Jason Flores (Fort Lewis College), Sarah Jansen (Mars Hill University), James Rice (Benedict College), and John Reynolds (Florida Institute of Technology).
2015-16 Women’s Basketball Division II Media Poll – Jan. 26, 2016
The Women’s Basketball Division II Media Poll, sponsored by D2SIDA, in its second year of existence. The regional poll will be released every Monday, followed by the national poll every Tuesday. Each region has six representatives that comprise the regional poll. The national poll has 16 voters – 2 from each region.
National Poll – Week 10 – Jan. 26, 2016
| Rank | School (First-place votes) | W-L | Points | Prev. | Last week’s results |
| 1 | Lubbock Christian (8) | 17-0 | 364 | 1 | WH Texas-Permian Basin 70-34, WH St. Edward’s 78-62 |
| 2 | Limestone (3) | 15-0 | 359 | 2 | WA Belmont Abbey (97-52) |
| 3 | Ashland (2) | 18-0 | 346 | 3 | WR Findlay 78-69; WR Wayne State 92-82 2OT |
| 4 | Alaska Anchorage (2) | 22-1 | 337 | 4 | WH Seattle Pacific (82-47); WH Saint Martin’s (78-52) |
| 5 | Missouri Western | 18-1 | 285 | 5 | WH Fort Hays State (77-75); LH Nebraska Kearney (82-76 |
| 6 | West Texas A&M | 18-1 | 283 | 7 | WA Texas A&M-Commerce 69-67, WH Tarleton State 78-73 |
| 7 | West Liberty | 16-1 | 282 | 8 | WA Concord 86-46, WA Wheeling Jesuit 69-64 |
| 8 | Cal Baptist | 17-1 | 277 | 9 | WA Hawaii Pacific (74-65); WA BYU-Hawaii (89-74) |
| 9 | Lewis | 18-1 | 239 | 11 | WH Southern Indiana 76-47; WH Bellarmine 83-77 |
| 10 | Nova Southeastern | 16-2 | 232 | 6 | LA-Tampa (71-45), WH-Saint Leo (79-64) |
| 11 | Fort Hays State | 17-2 | 222 | 10 | LA Missouri Western (77-75); WA Northwest Missouri (61-46) |
| 12 | Clayton State | 16-1 | 205 | T13 | WH UNC Pembroke (78-60); WH North Georgia (68-62) |
| 13 | Bentley | 15-3 | 195 | T13 | WA Pace (68-54); WA Le Moyne (64-54) |
| 14 | Shippensburg | 15-2 | 191 | 12 | Idle |
| 15 | Benedict | 19-1 | 179 | 16 | WH-Fort Valley State (83-61), WH-Albany State (82-53) |
| 16 | Quincy | 17-1 | 152 | 17 | WH Maryville 87-71; WH Missouri-St. Louis 81-77 OT |
| 17 | Winona State | 19-2 | 115 | 24 | WH RV Augustana (73-47); WH Wayne State College (63-49) |
| 18 | UC San Diego | 15-3 | 111 | 15 | LH Cal State Dominguez Hills (82-89); WH Cal State L.A. (73-64) |
| 19 | Union | 17-2 | 93 | RV | WA-Lee (73-71 OT), WA-Shorter (56-55) |
| 20 | Emporia State | 15-3 | 64 | 19 | WA Washburn (53-41) |
| 21 | Dist. of Columbia | 14-3 | 58 | RV | WH LIU Post (70-47) |
| 22 | Virginia Union | 13-1 | 55 | RV | WH Bowie State 87-51 |
| 23 | Florida Southern | 16-2 | 51 | 25 | WA-Rollins (72-66), WH-Lynn (79-53) |
| 24 | Anderson | 12-2 | 51 | 22 | H Carson-Newman (54-51) |
| 25 | Colorado Mines | 14-3 | 39 | 21 | LH Colorado State-Pueblo 59-50, WH Western State 68-48 |
Dropped Out: American International, Delta State, Bellarmine
Receiving Votes: Drury (28), Delta State (23), Arkansas Tech (17), Azusa Pacific (9), Roberts Wesleyan (8), Bellarmine (3), Grand Valley State (2)
