By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team will host a pair of crucial conference contests this weekend as the 23rd-ranked team in the country, according to the WBCA DII Coaches Poll released Tuesday (Feb. 4). It is the seventh different spot the Tigers have occupied in the coaches top 25 this season (5th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 23rd).
Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA schools ranked in the coaches poll this week, joined by No. 18 Central Missouri. Nebraska-Kearney is receiving votes in the coaches poll and sits in 23rd in this week’s media poll.
The Tigers are 1-3 all-time when ranked 23rd, with all four of those games coming on the road. Thursday night’s matchup (Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m.) with Newman will be the first time FHSU plays inside Gross Memorial Coliseum while ranked 23rd in the country.
This is the fourth time the Tigers have been ranked 23rd in the coaches poll. FHSU last occupied that spot midway through the 2016-17 season in the January 17, 2017 release. The Tigers also sat in 23rd early in the 2012-12 season, entering the polls for the first time under Tony Hobson on November 27, 2012. FHSU did not play any games that week and moved up to 17th before playing another game.
FHSU also played two games as the 23rd-ranked team in the country in January 2014, defeating Saturday’s opponent Central Oklahoma.
| WBCA DII Coaches Poll – Week 10 | D2SIDA Media Poll – Week 10 | ||||||||
| Rk. | Team (1st) | Rcd. | Pts. | Prev. | Rk. | Team (1st) | Rcd. | Pts. | Prev. |
| 1 | Drury (20) | 21-0 | 572 | 1 | 1 | Drury (16) | 21-0 | 400 | 1 |
| 2 | Ashland (3) | 21-0 | 555 | 2 | 2 | Ashland | 21-0 | 384 | 2 |
| 3 | Grand Valley State | 20-1 | 514 | 3 | 3 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 21-0 | 358 | 3 |
| 4 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 21-0 | 511 | 4 | 4 | Lee | 20-1 | 344 | 4 |
| 5 | Indiana (Pa.) | 20-1 | 467 | 5 | 5 | Grand Valley | 20-1 | 335 | 5 |
| 6 | Lee (Tenn.) | 20-1 | 453 | 6 | 6 | Hawaii Pacific | 20-1 | 322 | 6 |
| 7 | Hawaii Pacific | 20-1 | 437 | 7 | 7 | IUP | 20-1 | 311 | 7 |
| 8 | Alaska Anchorage | 21-2 | 400 | 9 | 8 | Adelphi | 20-2 | 278 | 9 |
| 9 | Lubbock Christian | 17-3 | 343 | 8 | 9 | Alaska Anchorage | 21-2 | 269 | 10 |
| 10 | Adelphi | 20-2 | 328 | 13 | 10 | West Texas A&M | 20-3 | 245 | 13 |
| 11 | Benedict | 19-2 | 314 | 12 | 11 | Central Missouri | 17-3 | 231 | T14 |
| 12 | Walsh | 19-2 | 296 | 14 | 12 | Walsh | 19-2 | 229 | 12 |
| 13 | Sioux Falls | 20-3 | 279 | 15 | 13 | Sioux Falls | 20-3 | 193 | 18 |
| 14 | Virginia Union | 16-3 | 244 | 10 | 14 | Belmont Abbey | 19-2 | 189 | 21 |
| 15 | Azusa Pacific | 16-3 | 214 | 17 | 15 | Colorado Mesa | 18-3 | 163 | 22 |
| 16 | West Texas A&M | 20-3 | 208 | 19 | 16 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 21-1 | 126 | 20 |
| 17 | North Georgia | 17-3 | 190 | 11 | 17 | Tampa | 16-3 | 124 | 23 |
| 18 | Central Missouri | 17-3 | 182 | 22 | 18 | Lincoln | 20-3 | 108 | RV |
| 19 | Anderson (S.C.) | 17-3 | 171 | 20 | 19 | USciences | 18-3 | 102 | 24 |
| 20 | Tampa | 16-3 | 139 | 24 | 20 | UC San Diego | 17-4 | 96 | RV |
| 21 | Colorado Mesa | 18-3 | 104 | 25 | 21 | Lander | 17-3 | 87 | RV |
| 22 | Lander | 17-3 | 77 | NR | 22 | Lubbock Christian | 17-3 | 76 | 16 |
| 23 | Fort Hays State | 16-4 | 68 | 16 | 23 | Nebraska-Kearney | 20-2 | 53 | RV |
| 24 | Kentucky Wesleyan | 21-1 | 61 | NR | 24 | Union | 18-4 | 49 | RV |
| 25 | University of the Sciences | 18-3 | 60 | NR | 25 | Azusa Pacific | 16-3 | 47 | T14 |