Lights are nationally ranked

The Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team is staying right where it started in the NAIA Coaches Poll.

The Lights sit at No. 23 in the first NAIA regular season poll, which was released Tuesday afternoon. Northern was picked No. 23 in the NAIA Preseason Poll, and the Lights have gone 11-2 since.

Three Frontier Conference teams are ranked in this week's poll. Westminster College is at No. 7 after a 9-1 start to its season, while the 10-0 Lewis-Clark State Warriors debut at No. 10. The Warriors were not rated in the preseason poll.

On the women's side, the 3-3 Skylights are un-ranked, while two Frontier powers are. Westminster is ranked No. 4 in the NAIA, while Carroll College comes in at No. 24. Rocky Mountain College also received votes in the most recent women's poll.

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rank PRV Rec Pts.

1 2 Oklahoma Baptist (9) 9-1 279

2 25 Cumberlands (Ky.) (1) 10-0 266

3 15 Lee (Tenn.) 9-0 264

T4 9 Pikeville (Ky.) 11-1 246

T4 5 Rogers State (Okla.) 9-1 246

6 10 Columbia (Mo.) (1) 9-0 236

7 13 Westminster (Utah) 9-1 235

8 11 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 9-1 217

9 20 Cal State San Marcos 7-3 201

10 NR Lewis-Clark State 10-0 188

11 17 Texas Wesleyan 6-1 181

12 16 MidAmerica Naz. 9-2 179

13 19 Xavier (La.) 9-1 177

14 NR Science & Arts (Okla.) 7-1 176

15 NR William Carey (Miss.) 7-1 160

16 21 Evangel (Mo.) 8-3 152

17 NR Faulkner (Ala.) 10-1 116

T18 RV Campbellsville (Ky.) 7-2 112

T18 RV Life (Ga.) 6-3 112

20 RV SAGU (Texas) 7-1 111

21 24 Southern-New Orlean 3-1 106

22 RV Oklahoma City 5-1 101

23 23 MSU-Northern 11-2 95

24 NR Bethel (Tenn.) 11-1 75

25 17 John Brown (Ark.) 8-1 72

Others receiving votes: Georgetown (Ky.) 47; Texas College 39; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 27; West Virginia Tech 19; Central Methodist (Mo.) 18; Emmanuel (Ga.) 18; Park (Mo.) 9; Wiley (Texas) 5 Philander Smith (Ark.) 3; Loyola (La.) 3.