By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
Despite taking its first loss of the season, the Fort Hays State women’s basketball team remains in the top 10 of both national polls this week, released Tuesday (Jan. 22). The Tigers currently sit in eighth in the WBCA Division II Coaches Poll while ranking seventh in the D2SIDA National Media Poll.
Fort Hays State was listed atop a pair of ballots in the media poll. The Tigers picked up 435 points in the coaches poll, just two points back of seventh, and 291 points in the media rankings, five points behind sixth place.
This is the second time the Tigers have been ranked eighth in the coaches poll, but Thursday’s contest will be their first time playing as the eighth-ranked team in the country. FHSU was ranked eighth in the final coaches poll of the 2014-15 season after reaching the regional finals.
The Tigers are now 67-23 all-time while ranked in the coaches poll, including a 48-10 mark when ranked in the top 10.
Fort Hays State is the lone MIAA representative in the media poll, while two other league schools leapt into the coaches poll this week. Pittsburg State sits in 23rd while Central Missouri is ranked 25th.
After a pair of road contests, the Tigers return to Gross Memorial Coliseum for two more conference matchups this week. FHSU opens the week against Missouri Western Thursday (Jan. 24) at 5:30 p.m.
Below are the complete national polls for January 22, 2019.
| WBCA DII Coaches Poll – Week 9 | D2SIDA Media Poll – Week 9 | |||||||||
| Rk. | Team (1st) | Rcd. | Pts. | Prev. | Rk. | Team (1st) | Rcd. | Pts. | Prev. | |
| 1 | Indiana (Pa.) (22) | 15-0 | 598 | 1 | 1 | Northwest Nazarene (9) | 16-0 | 361 | 2 | |
| 2 | Drury (2) | 17-0 | 577 | 2 | 2 | Drury (2) | 17-0 | 355 | 3 | |
| 3 | Northwest Nazarene | 16-0 | 542 | 4 | 3 | IUP (1) | 14-0 | 342 | 4 | |
| 4 | UC San Diego | 15-0 | 515 | 5 | 4 | Jefferson | 18-0 | 323 | T5 | |
| 5 | Ashland | 17-1 | 488 | 6 | 5 | UC San Diego | 15-0 | 297 | 7 | |
| 6 | Thomas Jefferson Univ. | 19-0 | 446 | 10 | 6 | Florida Southern | 16-1 | 296 | 8 | |
| 7 | Union (Tenn.) | 17-1 | 437 | 7 | 7 | Fort Hays State (2) | 16-1 | 291 | 1 | |
| 8 | Fort Hays State | 16-1 | 435 | 3 | 8 | Union | 17-1 | 263 | 9 | |
| 9 | University of the Sciences | 16-1 | 402 | 11 | 9 | USciences | 16-1 | 236 | 11 | |
| 10 | Alaska Anchorage | 14-1 | 388 | 12 | 10 | Lewis | 14-2 | 232 | 10 | |
| 11 | Virginia Union | 15-1 | 369 | 12 | 11 | Anderson (S.C.) | 15-2 | 228 | 13 | |
| 12 | Florida Southern | 16-1 | 324 | 14 | 12 | California | 14-1 | 214 | 12 | |
| 13 | California (Pa.) | 15-1 | 292 | 15 | 13 | Colorado Mesa (1) | 14-1 | 209 | 19 | |
| 14 | West Texas A&M | 14-2 | 264 | 8 | 14 | Southwestern Okla. | 15-1 | 198 | 16 | |
| 15 | Grand Valley State | 16-2 | 259 | 9 | 15 | Alaska Anchorage | 15-1 | 176 | 15 | |
| 16 | Southwestern Oklahoma St. | 15-1 | 236 | 17 | 16 | Virginia Union | 15-1 | 144 | 17 | |
| 17 | Bentley | 16-2 | 228 | 16 | 17 | Ashland | 17-1 | 127 | 18 | |
| 18 | Lewis | 14-2 | 198 | 18 | 18 | North Georgia | 12-2 | 115 | 20 | |
| 19 | Angelo State | 12-2 | 152 | 19 | 19 | Angelo State | 12-2 | 100 | 24 | |
| 20 | Colorado Mesa | 14-1 | 139 | 23 | 20 | Bentley | 16-2 | 96 | 21 | |
| 21 | Anderson (S.C.) | 15-2 | 126 | 21 | 21 | MSU Moorehead | 16-2 | 84 | 22 | |
| 22 | North Georgia | 12-2 | 96 | 22 | 22 | Lee | 15-3 | 63 | 23 | |
| 23 | Pittsburg State | 15-2 | 80 | NR | 23 | West Texas A&M | 14-2 | 62 | T5 | |
| 24 | Minnesota State Moorhead | 16-2 | 60 | NR | 24 | Cal Poly Pomona | 14-2 | 22 | RV | |
| 25 | Central Missouri | 12-4 | 43 | NR | 25 | Carson-Newman | 14-4 | 11 | NR |