KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Montana Western women’s basketball program is one of four Frontier Conference teams ranked in this week’s NAIA Top 25 coaches poll. The Bulldogs sit at No. 10, the highest ranking for a team in Big Sky Country.
Western (11-3) climbed two spots in the first poll of 2018 after winning the final three games of last year. The Bulldogs captured a 49-46 victory over then-No. 11 Westmont to assist in the climb. Brianna King continues to be one of the top athletes in the league, averaging 18.4 points per game this season.
UM Western opens its 2018 slate at Carroll College on Thursday, before traveling to Rocky Mountain College on Saturday.
MSU-Northern (9-4) crept up one spot to No. 21 in the coaches poll, winning the final four games of 2017. The Skylights saw sophomore guard Shiloh McCormick earn the league’s player of the week honors after returning from injury late last month.
Carroll College is tied for 24th in the poll, splitting the final ranking with LSU Shreveport. The Fighting Saints are 9-4 this season and led by Hannah Dean’s 13.1 points per contest. Guard Bailey Pasta is second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game.
Lewis-Clark State, the defending NAIA runner-up, is the highest-ranked Frontier Conference team at No. 7. The University of Providence and Rocky Mountain College each received votes in the poll.
The complete NAIA Top 25 can be found below.
