LILBURN, Ga. - The Fort Hays State women's basketball team heads into the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships ranked 10th in the latest rendition of the WBCA Coaches Poll, released Monday (March 8) by the association.
Fort Hays State is one of three teams from the Central Region ranked in the top 10 of this week's poll, more than any other region. Five of the teams playing in the Central Region Championships are either in the top 25 or receiving votes, tied for the most from any region (Southeast, four in top 25, one receiving votes).
Minnesota Duluth is the top-ranked regional foe, sitting in seventh this week. Nebraska-Kearney moved up from 14th to ninth after winning the MIAA tournament. Central Missouri is 20th this week, with Emporia State receiving votes.
Two teams from the latest coaches were not selected to play in the national championships, including No. 17 Gannon and No. 24 Benedict.
The Tigers are 9-3 all-time when ranked 10th in the coaches poll. FHSU was last ranked 10th according to the coaches midway through last season (1/21/20).
This is the fourth time that the Tigers have been ranked in the WBCA Top 25 heading into the national tournament. The Tigers were third in 2019, 16th in 2016 and sixth in 2015.
As the
top overall seed in the tournament, Fort Hays State will not play until the regional semifinals on Saturday (March 13) at 5 p.m. The Tigers will battle either No. 20 Central Missouri, the No. 4 seed, or fifth-seeded St. Cloud State.
| WBCA DII Coaches Poll - Week 6 |
| Rk. |
School (1st) |
W-L |
Pts. |
Last |
| 1 |
Lubbock Christian (23) |
16-0 |
575 |
1 |
| 2 |
Drury |
20-1 |
547 |
3 |
| 3 |
North Georgia |
17-1 |
502 |
6 |
| 4 |
Hawaii Pacific |
13-0 |
469 |
4 |
| 5 |
Lander |
17-1 |
468 |
2 |
| 6 |
Michigan Tech |
20-1 |
447 |
9 |
| 7 |
Minnesota Duluth |
13-1 |
444 |
8 |
| 8 |
Charleston (W.V.) |
17-2 |
383 |
13 |
| 9 |
Nebraska Kearney |
22-3 |
377 |
14 |
| 10 |
Fort Hays State |
22-3 |
374 |
5 |
| 11 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
13-3 |
336 |
10 |
| 12 |
Valdosta State |
17-3 |
292 |
7 |
| 13 |
Belmont Abbey |
22-2 |
266 |
21 |
| 14 |
Carson-Newman |
15-3 |
241 |
11 |
| 15 |
Daemen |
12-2 |
202 |
12 |
| 16 |
Tuskegee |
12-1 |
185 |
19 |
| 17 |
Gannon |
13-1 |
176 |
20 |
| 18 |
Glenville State |
12-3 |
172 |
18 |
| 19 |
Southwestern Oklahoma St. |
17-3 |
160 |
16 |
| 20 |
Central Missouri |
19-4 |
155 |
15 |
| 21 |
Arkansas Tech |
14-2 |
148 |
17 |
| 22 |
Colorado Mines |
17-3 |
134 |
24 |
| 23 |
Tusculum |
18-3 |
95 |
NR |
| 24 |
Benedict |
12-3 |
81 |
25 |
| 25 |
Union (Tenn.) |
18-5 |
48 |
NR |
Dropped Out: No. 22 West Texas A&M (15-6); No. 23 Grand Valley State (14-5).
Receiving Votes: West Texas A&M (15-6) 45; Grand Valley State (14-5) 30; Truman State (16-4) 30; Barton (12-2) 24; Dominican (12-1) 18; Roberts Wesleyan (10-6) 15; Cedarville (19-5) 6; Emporia State (18-6) 5.
Four teams were mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 24 combined points.
