The DII women's basketball Power 10 showed exactly why they earned their spot in our first-ever rankings last week. Nine of the top 10 combined to go 11-0, while a loss from North Georgia allows a new team to enter the mix.
In case you missed our first DII women's basketball Power 10 of the season, here is a quick refresher. These are my top 10 rankings, and mine alone. I used some of the same criteria that the selection committee uses come NCAA DII tournament time: toughest schedules, wins against ranked opponents and average margin of victory, just to name a few.
ICYMI: The first Power 10 of 2019-20
With teams barely into conference play, these rankings could start shaking up weekly. Check back every Monday to see how the Power 10 unfolds.
DII women's basketball Power 10: Dec. 2
(Note: All records and stats through games played Sunday, Dec. 1.)
No. 1 Lubbock Christian | 7-0 | Previous: 1
The Lady Chaparrals headed to San Antonio, Texas, for the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic and left with two more wins against winning teams. Both Southern Nazarene and Central Oklahoma received votes in the latest national poll, so Lubbock Christian is certainly handling stout competition. The Lady Chaps won't score a lot, but you'll be hard-pressed to score more than 65 a night against them, a mark not one team has reached thus far.
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No. 2 Drury | 6-0 | Previous: 2
The Panthers also left Thanksgiving weekend with a pair of wins as hosts of their own Thanksgiving Classic. Drury opened with a tight three-point victory against a Central Missouri team receiving votes before a commanding 28-point win to close the tournament. Keep an eye on Paige Robinson. The sophomore is showing her breakout freshman campaign was no fluke and is second on Drury in scoring.
No. 3 Grand Valley State | 6-0 | Previous: 4
Here is a good example of where I look to scoring margin. I flip-flopped the Lakers and Cougars this week simply because Grand Valley State is handling a similar schedule and winning games by 32.2 points per night. Cassidy Boensch continues to lead the way with 17.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.83 blocks per game.
No. 4 Azusa Pacific | 5-0 | Previous: 3
The Cougars remained perfect with a 12-point win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. The big news was the return of Savanna Hanson who looked fine with a 12-point night in her first game of the season. Azusa Pacific opens PacWest play with three games this week so it will certainly be put to the test.
No. 5 Fort Hays State | 6-0 | Previous: 5
The Tigers had two monster wins against out-of-division opponents last week and continues to roll over opponents. Belle Barbieri continues to pace FHSU by averaging a double-double with 11.7 points and 10.8 rebounds per night. The Cruzin Classic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, should be a big test on Dec. 18-19.
No. 6 California (Pa) | 7-0 | Previous: 6
The Vulcans couldn't improve having played zero games last week. That doesn't change the fact that Cal is still out to a perfect start, with a big win against Virginia Union. The Vulcans have a deep roster with five players averaging 10 or more points per night.
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No. 7 Lee | 7-0 | Previous: 7
The Flames had their biggest victory of the season last week, downing Shorter 97-60. That's not even the impressive part. Eight players scored eight or more points, while five players grabbed five or more rebounds. This team has contributors up and down its bench.
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No. 8 Saint Anselm | 5-0 | Previous: 8
The Hawks were definitely put to the test, eking out a victory against Southern New Hampshire, 84-83. Shannon Ryan had yet another huge game. She scored a season-high 33 points — her third 30-point game of the season — and 17 rebounds. She's had big double-doubles in every game so far.
No. 9 Ashland | 5-0 | Previous: 10
The Eagles survived their closest game of the season, but still prevailed as eight-point winners over Walsh. This team can score — second in DII women's basketball at 99.6 points per game — and aside from this past week, is beating teams quite handily.
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No. 10 Texas A&M-Commerce | 7-0 | Previous: NR
Well, hello Lions. Not only was Texas A&M-Commerce not ranked last week, I didn't even have them in my "just missed." The Lions improved to 7-0 with a signature win against then-undefeated, No. 18 Southeastern Oklahoma State. Teams are only scoring 51.1 points per night against the Lions, so the defense sure can play.
Just missed (in alphabetical order):
Three teams from last week — Alaska Anchorage, UC San Diego and MSU Moorhead — suffered losses, while Virginia Union continues to rebound in dominating fashion from its loss to Cal (Pa). With MSU Moorhead suffering back-to-back losses to ranked opponents, it opened the door for Indiana (Pa) to enter the conversation. One to watch in the coming weeks is Cal State San Marcos which improved to 7-0 with its second win over a nationally-ranked team in 2019.
- Alaska Anchorage
- Anderson (SC)
- IUP
- North Georgia
- Sioux Falls
- UC San Diego
- Virginia Union
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