USA Today Top 25D2SIDA PollCANYON, Texas – For the first time since the 2014-15 in the USA Today Sports Division II Top 25 preseason poll, the West Texas A&M women's basketball team is the top-ranked team in the latest poll released Tuesday. The Lady Buffs garnered 596 points and 20 of 24 first-place nods moving up from No. 2 in the final poll before the Christmas holiday. This is the first time during the season WT has been ranked first in program history.
The Lady Buffs are 12-0 overall and 1-0 in Lone Star Conference play and host rival Midwestern State Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the First United Bank Center in the basketball portion of the Highway 287 Challenge as MSU leads the annual challenge 7.5-3.5.
In the 2014-15 preseason poll, the Lady Buffs' run at No. 1 was short-lived following a 77-73 upset loss at home to UT-Permian Basin in the season-opener. WT came off a 32-3 season in 2013-14 and finished No. 2 with a runner-up finish in the National Championship. The Lady Buffs finished sixth in the final poll last season with a 30-3 record and a berth in the Elite Eight.
University of Alaska-Anchorage moved to No. 2 in the poll from fifth with 515 points and one first place vote, followed by Fort Hays State with 509 points. FHSU was the top-ranked team in the Dec. 15 poll before a road setback at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 81-72 in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) play.
California Baptist moved to fourth with 480 points, followed by Lubbock Christian with 438 points and the three remaining first place votes. Drury (Mo.) is sixth, followed by Ashland (Ohio), Emporia State (Kan.), Lewis (Ill.) and Limestone (S.C.) rounded out the top 10.
Colorado State-Pueblo is receiving votes as the only other team from the South Central Region in the poll this week along with WT and LCU.
The Lady Buffs sit fifth in the latest D2SIDA Poll as voted on by the sports information directors from across the country. The Lady Buffs are second in the D2SIDA South Central Region Poll again this week as Lubbock Christian is the top team in the region poll for the second-straight week. LCU is second in the D2SIDA national poll this week.
