The top three stood pat in the final DII women's basketball Power 10 rankings of 2019. When we open the second half of the season in January, Lubbock Christian, Drury, and Grand Valley State will be atop the DII world.
ICYMI: Lubbock Christian leads, Virginia Union debuts in DII women's basketball Power 10
In case you are new to the DII women's basketball Power 10, here's what you need to know. 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.
Be sure to check back every Monday starting January 6 to the end of the season to see how the Power 10 unfolds.
DII women's basketball Power 10: Dec. 23
(Note: All records and stats through games played Sunday, Dec. 22.)
No. 1 Lubbock Christian | 11-0 | Previous: 1
The Lady Chaparrals haven't lost since February of 2019, so the defending national champions look poised to make another run. They continue to play their style of basketball, focusing on defense and controlling the tempo. Maddi Chitsey seemingly never has an off night, leading the way with 15.5 points per game.
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No. 2 Drury | 10-0 | Previous: 2
The Panthers went to Florida and left with two big out-of-conference wins, remaining perfect on the season. This team seems to be on a mission after its undefeated season came to an end in the semifinals last year. They head into Great Lakes Valley Conference play on a 38-game conference winning streak, the longest in DII women's basketball.
No. 3 Grand Valley State |11-0 | Previous: 3
The Lakers also went to Florida for the final weekend of 2019 and left a perfect 2-0. This team is scoring in bunches but balancing it by holding opponents to 50.7 points per game, good for sixth-best in DII women's basketball. Cassidy Boensch is playing like the player of the year candidate expected, scoring 20.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
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No. 4 Ashland | 11-0 | Previous: 6
The Eagles are rolling, going 3-0 this week and breaking the 90-point barrier in each game. The points come from plenty of places as Ashland has five players chipping in double-digits per game. Here's the scary part you may have noticed: teams No. 2-4 are all in the same region. That will make it fun come tournament time.
No. 5 Texas A&M-Commerce | 11-0 | Previous: 7
Raise your hand if you saw the Lions as an undefeated, top 5 team heading into 2020. But here we are, and the Lions are no fluke. They continue to smother opponents on defense — allowing just 50.9 points per game — and are winning games by an average of 21.8 points. Chania Wright, Alexis Bryant, and Dyani Robinson pace the offense scoring 34.3 points per game.
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No. 6 Virginia Union | 8-1 | Previous: 8
These Panthers continue their climb up the rankings, jumping two spots with yet another win this week. DII women's basketball's top scorer Shareka McNeill missed the last game, but Peyton Evans answered the call with a 23-point night. This team can beat you in different ways.
No. 7 Adelphi | 11-0 | Previous: 10
Leonie Edringer continues to lead the Panthers attack with 15.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per night. The Panthers will be put right to the test in 2020. They open their Northeast-10 slate against six of the 10 conference teams with a winning record through the first half of the season.
No. 8 Alaska Anchorage | 12-1 | Previous: NR
The Seawolves are no strangers to the top 10, so it's somewhat surprising this is their debut. They have been racking up wins against a somewhat easier schedule by their standards, but at 12-1 they earn their spot. Safiyyah Yasin, Yazmeen Goo, and Tennae Voliva lead an offense that outscores its opponents 77.3 to 51.2 per game.
No. 9 Fort Hays State | 9-2 | Previous: NR
The Tigers return to the Power 10 after a two-week hiatus when they dropped two games in a row in early December. A big victory over No. 5 St. Anselm earned them a spot back in the top 10. Four players are dropping double-digit points a night while Belle Barbieiri is controlling the boards with 9.3 rebounds per night.
No. 10 Lee | 12-1 | Previous: 4
The Flames picked up their first loss of the season, and I have been forgiving of losses thus far, especially when you consider it came against an 8-2 Valdosta State team. The Flames came out flat and actually won the second half of that game, and quickly rebounded with a 13-point victory a few nights later. They drop a few spots, but get the chance to stick in the top 10.
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Just missed (in alphabetical order):
- Cal (Pa)
- Catawba
- Hawaii Pacific
- Indiana (Pa)
- North Georgia
- UC San Diego
- Saint Anselm
- Westminster
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
