CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Following their 6-0 start to the season, the Campbellsville University women's basketball team held its position at #3 in the first NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll of the regular season, released by the national office on Wednesday.
Campbellsville's ranking is backed by a blistering start to the year, including a 68-50 victory over then-#10 Indiana Wesleyan, who landed at #13 in the new poll.
Through six games, the Lady Tigers' statistical dominance has been clear. They are outscoring opponents by an average of 41.3 points per game (90.7 to 49.3) and forcing 22.0 turnovers per game while committing only 11.0. The team's unselfish play is reflected in their 20.3 assists per game, which ranks second in the NAIA, all while holding a +10.7 rebounding margin over opponents.
The team is led by senior
Whitney Hay, who is averaging a team-high 15.8 points per game on a hyper-efficient 59.6% shooting from the field. She is joined in double figures by
Talynne Shearer (11.0 ppg on 75.8% shooting) and
Dea Bradley (11.5 ppg), who also leads the team with 21 assists.
In addition to the team's ranking, senior forward
Tyra Flowers was named the Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The honor comes after Flowers averaged double-digit rebounds and four steals across the Lady Tigers' two wins in the Campbellsville Classic.
The senior's week was highlighted by a 13-rebound, 4-steal performance against Stephens College, where eight of those 13 boards were offensive. This is the first conference weekly honor for the Lady Tiger this season and the fourth of Flowers' career. On the season, Flowers leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per game and 21 total steals.
The Lady Tigers received 506 total points in the poll, maintaining the same #3 ranking they held in the preseason. Two-time defending national champion Dordt (Iowa) remained at #1 with 540 points, while Mid-South Conference foe Bethel (Tenn.) held the #2 spot with 520 points.
The #3-ranked Lady Tigers will put their perfect record on the line this weekend as they travel to Columbia, Ky., for a pair of neutral-site games. The weekend begins Friday, November 14th, with a match-up against the University of Tennessee Southern.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSTITUTION[FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| ● |
1 |
1 |
Dordt (Iowa) [20] |
4-0 |
540 |
| ● |
2 |
2 |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
7-0 |
520 |
| ● |
3 |
3 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
6-0 |
506 |
| ▲ |
4 |
5 |
Marian (Ind.) |
4-0 |
465 |
| ▼ |
5 |
4 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
3-1 |
462 |
| ● |
6 |
6 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
6-0 |
425 |
| ● |
T-7 |
7 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
4-0 |
421 |
| ▲ |
T-7 |
8 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
4-0 |
421 |
| ▲ |
9 |
20 |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
5-0 |
373 |
| ▲ |
10 |
11 |
Langston (Okla.) |
3-0 |
348 |
| ▲ |
11 |
NR |
Concordia (Neb.) |
4-0 |
339 |
| ▲ |
12 |
13 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
3-1 |
321 |
| ▼ |
13 |
10 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
4-3 |
316 |
| ▲ |
14 |
16 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
1-1 |
283 |
| ▼ |
15 |
14 |
Oregon Tech |
2-0 |
279 |
| ▼ |
16 |
9 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
2-1 |
255 |
| ▲ |
17 |
21 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
1-0 |
234 |
| ▲ |
18 |
19 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
4-0 |
213 |
| ▲ |
19 |
25 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
6-0 |
203 |
| ▲ |
20 |
RV |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
3-0 |
145 |
| ▲ |
21 |
RV |
Montana Tech |
4-0 |
131 |
| ▲ |
22 |
RV |
Loyola (La.) |
3-1 |
126 |
| ▼ |
23 |
17 |
Indiana Tech |
2-1 |
98 |
| ● |
24 |
24 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
3-1 |
96 |
| ▼ |
25 |
12 |
Hastings (Neb.) |
2-2 |
90 |
Dropped from Top 25: Arizona Christian, LSU Shreveport (La.), Southern Oregon, Shawnee State (Ohio)
Receiving Votes: Governors State (Ill.) 78, LSU Shreveport (La.) 77, Providence (Mont.) 76, Southeastern (Fla.) 67, Georgetown (Ky.) 60, Southern Oregon 57, Corban (Ore.) 51, Friends (Kan.) 37, Florida Memorial 25, Huntington (Ind.) 25, Columbia (Mo.) 24, Evangel (Mo.) 13, Grand View (Iowa) 12, Morningside (Iowa) 11, William Carey (Miss.) 10, Cumberland (Tenn.) 7
Xavier (La.) 6, Shawnee State (Ohio) 5
