Kansas City, Mo. –The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference is represented by #16 Southwestern College and #23 Friends University in the sixth regular-season edition of the 2011 - 12 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, announced Monday (Jan. 23) by the national office.  Sterling College also received votes.

The Moundbulders and Falcons seemingly switch places from the fifth edition of the poll as Friends drops from #15 to #23. #16 Southwestern makes the biggest jump in the poll this week, climbing up seven spots form #23.

Southwestern defeated Bethel College (85-67) and blew by Tabor College (73-35) to hold the outright lead in conference at 9 and 1. Previously undefeated in conference Friends University fell to Sterling College (69-57) and Ottawa (74-54) this week.  They currently stand in second place in the KCAC at 8 and 2.

For Full KCAC Women's Basketball Standings Click Here.

Both Friends and Southwestern will be back in action on Thursday, Jan. 26 in conference matches.  Friends travels to University of Saint, while Southwestern hosts Sterling College.

Indiana Wesleyan remained unbeaten in Mid-Central College Conference play and kept its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot.  No. 2 Briar Cliff (Iowa), No. 3 Davenport (Mich.), No. 4 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) and No. 5 Concordia (Neb.) round out the top five once again.

No. 17 Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) vaulted four places, spurred by a 78-71 victory over then-No. 21 NAIA Division I Robert Morris (Ill.) on Jan. 17. On the other hand, No. 15 Mount Mercy (Iowa) experienced the biggest fall as it went back seven positions due to a pair of losses to unranked Midwest Collegiate Conference foes last week. 



Twelve of the 14 Division II women's basketball conferences and independents are represented throughout the Top 25. The Great Plains Athletic Conference placed the most teams of any league in the poll with five: Briar Cliff, Concordia, No. 7 Morningside (Iowa), No. 9 Northwestern (Iowa) and No. 18 Hastings (Neb.). The Mid-Central College Conference was second with three ranked teams: Indiana Wesleyan, No. 10 Bethel (Ind.) and Huntington. 



The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. The next poll will be announced on Jan. 30. 



Notes:(All information as of the 1999 – 2000 season) Indiana Wesleyan has now appeared at the top of the poll on 20 occasions, one more than Morningside (Iowa) for the most No. 1 rankings all-time … Hastings (Neb.) has appeared at No. 1 a total of 13 times, followed by Saint Francis (Ind.) and Davenport (Mich.), who have both made a dozen No. 1 appearances … There have been 14 different teams to garner the No. 1 ranking all-time … Northwestern made 33-consecutive appearances in the top 10 until falling out of the rankings in this season's first regular-season poll … The Red Raiders have now been placed in the top 10 of 89 polls all-time … Three schools have spent an entire season at No. 1: Morningside in 2008-09, College of the Ozarks (Mo.) in 2007-08 and Saint Francis (Ind.) in 1999-2000 … In the last 12 years, five teams that have been rated No. 1 in the preseason have gone on to win the national championship … Ave Maria (Fla.) is making its first appearance all-time in the rankings.

Others receiving votes:Indiana Southeast 55; College of Idaho 53; Saint Francis (Ind.) 44; Siena Heights (Mich.) 33; Oregon Tech 27; Marian (Ind.) 15; Cornerstone (Mich.) 14; Warner Pacific (Ore.) 10; Virginia Intermont 9; Sterling 6; Grace (Ind.) 5; Cal Maritime 5; Bluefield (Va.) 5; Valley City State (N.D.) 1; Mount Marty (S.D.) 1; Purdue Calumet (Ind.) 1; Point Park (Pa.) 1; Montreat (N.C.) 1; Doane (Neb.) 1.