KANSAS CITY, Mo. – With a 16-1 record and a 1-0 start to Mid-South Conference play, the Campbellsville University women's basketball team held steady at #3 in the fourth edition of the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, released by the national office on Wednesday.
The Lady Tigers garnered 481 points in the voting process and secured one first-place vote, maintaining their position as one of the nation's elite programs. The top of the poll tightened significantly, with #1 Dordt (Iowa) earning 522 points (nine first-place votes) and conference rival #2 Bethel (Tenn.) sitting just ahead of Campbellsville with 519 points (six first-place votes). #4 Marian (Ind.) and fellow-MSC team #5 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) round out a crowded top five, separated by fewer than 50 points.
Campbellsville's resume continues to be built on statistical dominance. Through 17 games, the Lady Tigers possess one of the nation's most potent offenses, averaging 88.7 points per game while outscoring opponents by an average margin of 38.8 points. The defense remains a staple of the team's success, forcing opponents into 23.5 turnovers per game and swiping 16.4 steals per contest.
Whitney Hay leads the offensive charge, averaging 17.2 points per game on 56.3% shooting from the field. She is joined in double figures by sophomores
Dea Bradley, who is posting 13.6 points per game, and
Talynne Shearer, who is shooting nearly 90% from the free-throw line.
The release of the poll sets the stage for one of the most significant weeks in the program's regular season history. The #3 Lady Tigers are set to host #2 Bethel University tomorrow, Thursday, January 15, in a battle for the top spot in the MSC. Campbellsville will then welcome #5 Freed-Hardeman to the Powell Athletic Center on Saturday, January 17, completing a massive week of top-five match-ups.
Tip-off against the #2 Wildcats is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET at the Powell Athletic Center.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| ▲ |
1 |
2 |
Dordt (Iowa) [9] |
16-1 |
522 |
| ▼ |
2 |
1 |
Bethel (Tenn.) [6] |
17-1 |
519 |
| ● |
3 |
3 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) [1] |
16-1 |
481 |
| ▲ |
4 |
5 |
Marian (Ind.) [1] |
16-1 |
479 |
| ▲ |
5 |
6 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) [2] |
17-0 |
477 |
| ▲ |
6 |
7 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
16-1 |
413 |
| ▼ |
7 |
4 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
14-3 |
405 |
| ● |
8 |
8 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
16-1 |
384 |
| ▲ |
9 |
10 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
13-4 |
359 |
| ▼ |
10 |
9 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
14-3 |
335 |
| ● |
11 |
11 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
12-3 |
329 |
| ▲ |
12 |
14 |
Montana Tech (Mont.) |
14-1 |
306 |
| ▲ |
13 |
15 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
12-4 |
279 |
| ▼ |
14 |
12 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
15-3 |
273 |
| ▲ |
15 |
16 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
16-1 |
198 |
| ▼ |
16 |
13 |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
13-4 |
197 |
| ▲ |
17 |
RV |
Eastern Oregon |
15-1 |
188 |
| ▼ |
18 |
17 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
12-5 |
160 |
| ▲ |
19 |
RV |
William Carey (Miss.) |
14-0 |
155 |
| ▼ |
20 |
18 |
Corban (Ore.) |
13-3 |
151 |
| ▲ |
21 |
NR |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
15-2 |
129 |
| ▲ |
22 |
RV |
Evangel (Mo.) |
13-1 |
122 |
| ▲ |
23 |
RV |
Friends (Kan.) |
15-1 |
105 |
| ▼ |
24 |
22 |
Indiana Tech |
12-4 |
101 |
| ▲ |
25 |
RV |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
15-3 |
99 |
Dropped from Top 25: Oregon Tech, Carroll (Mont.), Langston (Okla.), Huntington (Ind.), Georgetwon (Ky.), Mid-America Christian (Okla.)
Receiving Votes: Carroll (Mont.) 92, Langston (Okla.) 90, Huntington (Ind.) 72, Georgetown (Ky.) 66, Columbia (Mo.) 59, Science and Arts (Okla.) 57, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 54, Loyola (La.) 47, Taylor (Ind.) 47, Hastings (Neb.) 23, LSU Shreveport (La.) 22, Shawnee State (Ohio) 18, Southern Oregon (Ore.) 17, Tennessee Southern 14, Cumberland (Tenn.) 10, Montana State-Northern 8, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 7, Grand View (Iowa) 7, College of Idaho 6, Faulkner University (Ala.) 4
