KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Campbellsville University women's basketball team will enter the postseason as a consensus top-five program, holding steady at #5 in the final edition of the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
The Lady Tigers (22-6, 7-5 MSC) received 437 voting points to secure their top-five standing following a grueling conference slate. The top of the poll remained largely unchanged, with defending national champion Dordt (Iowa) maintaining the unanimous #1 spot with 531 points and 16 first-place votes.
The Mid-South Conference continues to assert itself as the premier league in the NAIA, boasting three of the top five teams in the nation and four in the top 15. Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) stayed at #2 with 512 points, while Bethel (Tenn.) held firm at #3 with 504 points. Marian (Ind.) rounds out the top four ahead of Campbellsville. The depth of the MSC is further highlighted by Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) surging to #11, while both Georgetown (Ky.) and the University of the Cumberlands are receiving votes.
Campbellsville's top-five ranking is supported by an elite regular-season resume. The Lady Tigers possess a potent offense that averages 80.6 points per game while playing a stifling defense that limits opponents to just 57.3 points per contest. The team's ability to win in varied environments is highlighted by a 13-3 home record and a flawless 6-0 mark in neutral-site match-ups.
Whitney Hay has been the engine of the Lady Tigers' attack, leading the team with 510 points while shooting an incredibly efficient 52.7% from the field. Sophomore
Dea Bradley has provided a steady scoring presence with 388 points on the year, and freshman
Lainey Johnson has emerged as a crucial perimeter threat off the bench with 34 made three-pointers.
With the regular season concluded, the #5 Lady Tigers now turn their attention to the Mid-South Conference Tournament in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Entering as the #4 seed due to conference tiebreakers, Campbellsville will face #5-seed Georgetown (Ky.) in the quarterfinals on Friday, February 27. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at the Bowling Green Arena on the campus of Bowling Green High School.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST TIME |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| ● |
1 |
1 |
Dordt (Iowa) [16] |
27-1 |
531 |
| ● |
2 |
2 |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) [3] |
24-3 |
512 |
| ● |
3 |
3 |
Bethel (Tenn.) |
24-4 |
504 |
| ● |
4 |
4 |
Marian (Ind.) |
26-2 |
479 |
| ● |
5 |
5 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
22-6 |
437 |
| ▲ |
6 |
7 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
25-3 |
435 |
| ▼ |
7 |
6 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
24-4 |
428 |
| ● |
8 |
8 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
27-1 |
422 |
| ● |
9 |
9 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
22-6 |
365 |
| ● |
10 |
10 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
23-3 |
334 |
| ▲ |
11 |
13 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
21-7 |
318 |
| ▲ |
12 |
15 |
Evangel (Mo.) |
24-2 |
303 |
| ▼ |
13 |
11 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
22-6 |
293 |
| ● |
14 |
14 |
Eastern Oregon |
24-4 |
261 |
| ▲ |
15 |
17 |
Montana Tech |
22-4 |
224 |
| ▲ |
16 |
19 |
Loyola (La.) |
23-3 |
223 |
| ▼ |
17 |
12 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
21-7 |
221 |
| ▼ |
18 |
16 |
Spring Arbor (Mich.) |
22-6 |
212 |
| ▲ |
19 |
20 |
Langston (Okla.) |
24-4 |
189 |
| ▲ |
20 |
RV |
Corban (Ore.) |
23-5 |
188 |
| ▲ |
21 |
22 |
Friends (Kan.) |
23-5 |
115 |
| ▲ |
22 |
23 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
20-8 |
105 |
| ▲ |
23 |
RV |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
25-3 |
97 |
| ▲ |
24 |
RV |
Tennessee Southern |
20-5 |
79 |
| ▼ |
25 |
18 |
William Carey (Miss.) |
21-5 |
78 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Indiana Tech, Carroll (Mont.), Cumberlands (Ky.)
Receiving Votes: Indiana Tech 71, Carroll (Mont.) 60, Georgetown (Ky.) 59, Hastings (Neb.) 54, Cumberlands (Ky.) 53, Columbia (Mo.) 48, Briar Cliff (Iowa) 45, LSU Shreveport (La.) 44, Faulkner (Ala.) 28, Huntington (Ind.) 24, College of Idaho 20, Oregon Tech 17, Mid-America Christian (Okla.) 16, St. Francis (Ill.) 14, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 14, Southern Oregon 9, Benedictine (Kan.) 6, Taylor (Ind.) 5, Milligan (Tenn.) 3, Indiana Wesleyan 3
