Despite being idle last weekend, the undefeated Bellarmine University women’s basketball team climbed two spots to No. 22 in Tuesday’s latest NCAA Division II Media Poll.
The Knights entered the top 25 at No. 24 in the Dec. 22 poll preceding D-II’s break from competition over the holidays. Before that, BU received enough votes to place them just outside of the top 25 at No. 28.
Bellarmine is 8-0 for the first time since the 1991-92 season. Most recently, the Knights walloped Ferris State 76-52 before downing Northern Michigan 63-52.
Limestone, Lubbock Christian, Ashland, Alaska Anchorage and West Texas A&M comprise the top 5.
Lewis (No. 12) and Drury (No. 14) join Bellarmine in the top 25 from the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
Bellarmine is back in action on Thursday when it travels to GLVC rival William Jewell.
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DII MEDIA POLL
| Rank | School (First-Place Votes) | W-L | Pts. | Prev. | Last Week’s Results |
| 1 | Limestone (8) | 9-0 | 376 | 1 | WA Anderson (63-49) |
| 2 | Lubbock Christian (2) | 11-0 | 373 | 2 | WH Oklahoma Panhandle State 96-51 |
| 3 | Ashland (1) | 12-0 | 359 | 4 | WR Northwood 83-68; WR Lake Superior State 77-47 |
| 4 | Alaska Anchorage (3) | 16-1 | 353 | 3 | WH MSU Billings (70-50) |
| 5 | West Texas A&M | 12-0 | 314 | 5 | WH Cameron 69-58, WH U. of the Southwest 101-46 |
| 6 | Missouri Western (2) | 13-0 | 308 | 12 | WH Saint Mary (108-44); WH Northeastern State (88-49) |
| 7 | Nova Southeastern | 12-1 | 293 | 8 | WH-Embry-Riddle (63-53) |
| 8 | West Liberty | 9-1 | 290 | 7 | Idle |
| 9 | American Int’l | 13-0 | 289 | 10 | WA Dominican (N.Y.) (60-51); WH New Haven (71-56); WH LIU Post (82-48) |
| 10 | Fort Hays State | 11-1 | 265 | T13 | WH #T6 Pittsburg State (77-57) |
| 11 | Cal Baptist | 10-1 | 260 | 9 | Idle |
| 12 | Lewis | 12-1 | 203 | 16 | WH Cumberland 81-60; WR Wisconsin-Parkside 67-63 |
| 13 | Winona State | 14-1 | 189 | 6 | LH RV-Northern State (60-55); WH #8 MSU Moorhead (52-49) |
| 14 | Drury | 10-1 | 187 | 11 | Idle |
| 15 | Assumption | 10-2 | 168 | 18 | WA LIU Post (77-71); WA Merrimack (54-47) |
| 16 | Shippensburg | 11-2 | 129 | 21 | WH Shepherd 96-56, WH Clarion 72-56 |
| 17 | Columbus State | 9-1 | 120 | 23 | WH Mobile (69-49); WA Francis Marion (79-75) |
| 18 | UC San Diego | 10-2 | 112 | 19 | WH Humboldt State (85-72); WH Cal Poly Pomona (90-76) |
| 19 | Delta State | 9-1 | 107 | NR | WH-North Alabama (71-37) |
| 20 | Emporia State | 10-2 | 104 | 20 | WH Lincoln (101-76) |
| 21 | Florida Southern | 12-1 | 102 | 22 | WH-Flagler (73-47), WH-Tampa (71-67) |
| 22 | Bellarmine | 8-0 | 59 | 24 | Idle |
| 23 | Texas Woman’s | 12-2 | 50 | RV | WH Tarleton State 72-62, WH Midwestern State 71-45 |
| 24 | Georgia College | 11-1 | 49 | RV | WH North Georgia (66-58) |
| 25 | Bentley | 11-2 | 31 | RV | WH Bridgeport (69-53); WH Stonehill (80-69) |
Dropped Out: Union, Anderson, Colorado State-Pueblo, California
Received Votes: Quincy (25), University of Sioux Falls (16), Gannon (13), Benedict (12), Arkansas Tech (11), Anderson (10), Azusa Pacific (10), Union (7), Colorado Mines (6)
by Adam Pruiett
