Nuggets return to 16th, Rush drop to 19th in NAIA polls

Nuggets return to 16th, Rush drop to 19th in NAIA polls
Ed Cassiere 01/17/12

NEW ORLEANS — A 3-0 week at home helped the Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team climb one place to 16th in the NAIA Division I coaches poll.

The poll, the fifth of the season, was announced late Monday afternoon, just before Xavier's home doubleheader against Philander Smith.

Xavier is 19th in the men's poll after tying for 18th a week ago.

The Gold Nuggets are in the top 25 for the 23rd consecutive time. The Gold Rush appear in the top 25 for the 16th time in 17 polls.

XU's women defeated Gulf Coast Athletic Conference opponents SUNO, Edward Waters and Fisk to extend a winning streak they started four days before Christmas. Then they defeated Philander Smith 56-27 for their eighth consecutive victory and longest streak since 2010.

In five polls this season the XU women have ranked 16th or 17th.

The Gold Rush had a 2-1 week at home, losing to SUNO in overtime, then beating Edward Waters and Fisk. The XU men then rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Philander Smith 87-80 and spoil a 45-point performance — best among NAIA men this season — by the Panthers' Ken Brown.

Both Xavier teams will conclude a five-game home stand with a GCAC doubleheader Saturday against Talladega at The Barn. The women's game will start at 5 p.m., and the men's game will start at 7. Xavier and Talladega are two of three women's teams unbeaten in conference.

The only other ranked GCAC school is Tougaloo, which is 25th in the men's poll and returned to the top 25 for the first time since Dec. 5. Tougaloo will play host to Xavier in a doubleheader Monday.

Oklahoma City's women, a unanimous No. 1 in the previous three polls, dropped to second after an 88-66 home loss to Lubbock Christian. Freed-Hardeman, a 66-54 winner at home against perennial power Union (Tenn.), climbed from third to first. Freed-Hardeman is the third No. 1 women's team this season.

Unbeaten Shorter became the fifth men's team to reach No. 1 this season. The Hawks swapped places with Oklahoma Baptist, which dropped to No. 2.

Xavier is one of 10 schools, one fewer than the previous poll, with women's and men's teams in the top 25. The other schools are Azusa Pacific, Campbellsville, Georgetown (Ky.), Lee (Tenn.), Lindsey Wilson, Robert Morris (Chicago), Saint Xavier, Westmont and Southern Nazarene.