KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Montana Tech's women's basketball team leapt to its highest-ever ranking in the NAIA coaches' top 25 poll, the national office announced Wednesday.
The Orediggers jumped up 11 spots to No. 14 in Wednesday's rankings, accruing 285 points in the voting.
Montana Tech is off to a 10-1 start, the best in program history, and the Orediggers are in the midst of a five-game win streak.
Tech is the second-highest among Frontier Conference schools in the rankings, joining No. 4 Dakota State, No. 17 Rocky Mountain, and No. 24 Carroll in the top 25. MSU-Northern and Providence also received votes.
The Orediggers' hot start is thanks in large part to lockdown defense. Tech ranks second in the NAIA in lowest opponents' field goal percentage (30.4) and seventh in the country in fewest points allowed per game (51.5). They are also 10th in the nation in rebounding margin, 11th in defensive rebounds per game, and 13th in fewest personal fouls per game.
This week marks a break in Frontier Conference play for Montana Tech. The Orediggers will play host to Briercrest at 9 a.m. Friday in their annual Elementary School Day. Admission is free for the non-conference affair.
| RANK |
LAST TIME |
SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
2 |
Bethel (Tenn.) [14] |
13-0 |
534 |
| 2 |
1 |
Dordt (Iowa) [4] |
10-1 |
510 |
| 3 |
3 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) [1] |
13-0 |
505 |
| 4 |
4 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
12-1 |
481 |
| 5 |
5 |
Marian (Ind.) |
11-0 |
479 |
| 6 |
7 |
Freed-Hardemany (Tenn.) |
12-0 |
458 |
| 7 |
6 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
9-1 |
418 |
| 8 |
13 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
9-1 |
380 |
| 9 |
9 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
10-2 |
378 |
| 10 |
14 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) |
7-4 |
337 |
| 11 |
12 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
9-2 |
336 |
| 12 |
18 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
13-1 |
307 |
| 13 |
8 |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
11-3 |
296 |
| 14 |
25 |
Montana Tech |
10-1 |
285 |
| 15 |
10 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
8-3 |
284 |
| 16 |
17 |
St. Francis (Ill.) |
12-0 |
205 |
| 17 |
15 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) |
7-4 |
191 |
| 18 |
22 |
Corban (Ore.) |
9-1 |
187 |
| 19 |
11 |
Langston (Okla.) |
10-2 |
170 |
| 20 |
RV |
Huntington (Ind.) |
9-3 |
132 |
| 20 |
21 |
Oregon Tech |
6-4 |
132 |
| 22 |
20 |
Indiana Tech |
7-3 |
131 |
| 23 |
RV |
Mid-America Christian (Okla.) |
10-3 |
118 |
| 24 |
16 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
7-4 |
117 |
| 25 |
23 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
13-1 |
116 |
Dropped from Top 25: Southeastern (Fla.), Indiana Wesleyan
Receiving Votes: William Carey (Miss.) 95, Southeastern (Fla.) 94, Columbia (Mo.) 78, Evangel (Mo.) 67, Southern Oregon 55, Indiana Wesleyan 49, Friends (Kan.) 44, Hastings (Neb.) 40, Loyola (La.) 39, Eastern Oregon 39, Taylor (Ind.) 38, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 33, Grand View (Iowa) 29, Shawnee State (Ohio) 15, Montana State-Northern 10, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 8, Providence (Mont.) 8, Science and Arts (Okla.) 6, Lourdes (Ohio) 2, LSU Shreveport (La.) 2
Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.
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