Skylights rise in new poll

The Montana State University-Northern women's basketball team is coming off a big, big weekend on the road. And now, the Skylights are moving back up the NAIA rankings.

In the new NAIA Coaches Poll, the Skylights jumped from No. 20 to No. 17 after sweeping Montana Tech and No. 12 Lewis-Clark State in Frontier Conference road games last weekend. Northern improved to a stellar 18-5 on the season, and the Skylights have just two road games left this season.

There are still four Frontier teams ranked in the women's Top 25, with LC State remaining at No. 12 this week, while Carroll College dropped two spots to No. 13 and UGF moved down one spot to No. 24.

On the mens' side, Lewis-Clark State climbed two spots to No. 3 in the new NAIA Men's Coaches Poll. The Warriors also received a first-place vote this week, while Carroll stayed at No. 13. UM-Western is also receiving votes again this week.

The Northern men's and women's basketball teams are back in action Thursday night when they visit Western. Saturday night, MSU-N travels to Billings to take on Rocky Mountain College.

NAIA Women's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. W L Pts

1 1 Our Lady of the Lake 20 2 218

2 2 Westmont (Calif.) 20 3 207

3 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) 21 4 203

4 5 Bethel (Tenn.) 21 4 193

5 4 Columbia (Mo.) (2) 23 1 192

6 6 Lyon (Ark.) 21 2 188

7 7 Shawnee State 22 3 184

8 8 MidAmerica Naz. 19 4 169

9 9 Vanguard (Calif.) 16 4 161

10 10 The Master's (Calif.) 20 3 157

11 13 Freed-Hardeman 18 5 149

12 12 Lewis-Clark State 19 4 144

13 11 Carroll (Mont.) 18 4 130

14 17 Wayland Baptist 16 4 125

15 19 Talladega (Ala.) 19 3 122

16 16 Central Methodist 20 2 119

17 20 MSU-Northern 18 5 105

18 14 Oklahoma City 13 6 101

19 15 Pikeville (Ky.) 19 4 88

20 18 Langston (Okla.) 16 4 84

21 22 Benedictine (Kan.) 20 4 80

22 21 Lindsey Wilson 18 4 79

23 RV LSU Shreveport 15 6 61

24 23 Great Falls (Mont.) 16 8 58

25 RV Loyola (La.) 16 5 49

Others receiving votes: Baker (Kan.) 37, Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 37, Xavier (La.) 37, Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) 11, Culver-Stockton (Mo.) 10, Georgetown (Ky.) 5, Huston-Tillotson (Texas) 4, Cumberland (Tenn.) 3, SAGU (Texas) 3

NAIA Men's Coaches Poll

Rn. Prv. Rec. Pts.

1 1 LSU Alexandria (9) 21-2 250

2 2 Georgetown (Ky.) 21-3 238

3 5 Lewis-Clark State 22-2 234

4 4 Pikeville (Ky.) 21-3 223

5 3 Columbia (Mo.) 22-3 222

6 6 Talladega (Ala.) 20-4 208

7 8 Hope International 20-4 202

8 9 Texas Wesleyan 19-4 195

9 7 William Penn (Iowa) 19-5 182

9 10 Biola (Calif.) 22-3 182

11 12 Mid-America Chris. 19-5 167

12 11 Langston (Okla.) 17-5 159

13 13 Carroll (Mont.) 17-5 154

14 14 Freed-Hardeman 18-5 148

15 18 William Carey 16-8 129

16 16 Westmont (Calif.) 17-6 127

17 20 MidAmerica Naz. 18-6 126

18 17 Peru State (Neb.) 17-8 106

19 22 Arizona Christian 18-5 96

20 15 Park (Mo.) 14-7 91

21 23 Our Lady of the Lake 13-6 83

22 19 Campbellsville (Ky.) 18-7 67

23 25 Oklahoma City 11-7 63

23 RV Cumberlands (Ky.) 16-9 63

25 24 William Jessup 15-7 62

Others Receiving Votes: Middle Georgia State 55; Dillard (La.) 48; Xavier (La.) 46; Voorhees (S.C.) 24; Montana-Western 16; Avila (Mo.) 9; William Woods (Mo.) 3.