LILBURN, Ga. - The Concordia-St. Paul women's basketball team finished No. 13 in the final WBCA coaches' poll of the season. This season marked the first time that the Golden Bears have been ranked since before the 2014-15 season.
The last time the Golden Bears finished a season in the top 25 was in 2013-14. That is the only team in program history to make the NCAA Elite Eight.
CSP ended this season with a program-best 29-3 record, marking the most wins in a season. The Golden Bears won both the NSIC Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the first time since 2008. The team made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013-14.
The Golden Bears finished as the highest-rated team in the NSIC at No. 13, receiving 268 votes. Southwest Minnesota State was ranked No. 15 with 215 votes after their run to the Central Region Championship. Minnesota State finished outside the top 25 with 31 votes.
Pittsburg State, the Central Region Champions, finished at No. 2 after falling to National Champion Grand Valley State in the national semifinals. Fort Hays State finished ranked one spot ahead of CSP at No. 12.
WBCA FINAL RANKINGS
|
Rank
|
School (final record)
|
Total
Points
|
Previous
Rank
|
First-Place
Votes
|
|
1
|
Grand Valley State (38-2)
|
524
|
2
|
20
|
|
2
|
Pittsburg State (33-4)
|
474
|
7
|
0
|
|
3
|
Union, TN (33-4)
|
452
|
9
|
0
|
|
4
|
Cal State Dominguez Hills (36-2)
|
451
|
4
|
0
|
|
5
|
Bentley (33-2)
|
423
|
3
|
0
|
|
6
|
Texas Woman's (33-2)
|
398
|
1
|
1
|
|
7
|
Lubbock Christian (32-5)
|
377
|
11t
|
0
|
|
8
|
Ashland (32-4)
|
375
|
5
|
0
|
|
9
|
North Georgia (31-3)
|
346
|
6
|
0
|
|
10
|
Coker (29-6)
|
296
|
21
|
0
|
|
11
|
Gannon (28-7)
|
286
|
19
|
0
|
|
12
|
Fort Hays State (28-5)
|
272
|
11t
|
0
|
|
13
|
Concordia-St. Paul (29-3)
|
268
|
8
|
0
|
|
14
|
Texas-Tyler (25-5)
|
242
|
10
|
0
|
|
15
|
Southwest Minnesota State (28-5)
|
215
|
18
|
0
|
|
16
|
Embry-Riddle (27-5)
|
211
|
13
|
0
|
|
17
|
Alaska Anchorage (28-5)
|
197
|
16
|
0
|
|
18
|
Nova Southeastern (27-7)
|
163
|
24
|
0
|
|
19
|
Cal Poly Pomona (25-6)
|
161
|
14
|
0
|
|
20
|
Fairmont State (27-5)
|
155
|
15
|
0
|
|
21
|
Lewis (26-4)
|
94
|
17
|
0
|
|
22t
|
Colorado Mesa (25-6)
|
61
|
22
|
0
|
|
22t
|
Tampa (26-7)
|
61
|
20
|
0
|
|
24
|
Holy Family (26-7)
|
44
|
RV
|
0
|
|
25
|
Point Loma Nazarene (25-6)
|
39
|
23
|
0
|
Dropped Out: No. 25 Azusa Pacific (22-7).
Others receiving votes: Indiana, PA (23-8) 36; Central Washington (23-8) 34; Minnesota State Mankato (25-8) 31; Azusa Pacific (22-7) 29; Seton Hill (24-7) 21; Edinboro (25-7) 16; Montana State Billings (25-8) 2.
11 teams mentioned on only one ballot for a total of 71 combined points.
The WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll Committee is composed of one head coach from each of the 23 NCAA Division II conferences. The committee for the 2024-25 season: Mike Bona, Emmanuel; Kevin Clifford, Roberts Wesleyan; Kyle Cooper, West Liberty; Anthony Crocitto, St. Leo; Carmen Dolfo, Western Washington; Steve Fagan, Felician; Darin Grover, Southeastern Oklahoma; Tanya Haave, MSU Denver; TJ Hardeman, Azusa Pacific; Sarah Hopkins-Chery, Cal State Monterey Bay; Matt Houser, Columbus State; Beth Jillson, Texas Woman's; L'Tona Lamonte, Winston-Salem State; Greg Long, Mississippi College; Mike Mincey, Carson-Newman; Kerry Phayre, Assumption; Kari Pickens, Ashland; Jenny Pruett, Saginaw Valley State; James Rice, Benedict; Jess Strom, California University (Pa.); Katie Vaughn, Missouri-St. Louis; Tom Webb, Southwest Minnesota State; Lora Westling, Washburn.
