Bruins earn first ranking in program history
Bellevue is ranked No. 24 in this week’s NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll.
NSAA Standings
NAIA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- For the first time in the program's history the Bellevue University women's basketball team is ranked in the NAIA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
The Bruins (12-6), who currently sit atop the NSAA standings as the lone unbeaten team in league play at 3-0, enter the poll at No. 24. With BU receiving 65 points they slot in one point behind No. 23 Indiana Northwest and one point ahead of No. 25 Rio Grande (Ohio).
Since the last poll came out, Bellevue has posted a 3-2 record with a 78-76 win over then-No. 13 Dordt College as well as competitive losses at then-No. 8 Morningside and against then-No. 4 College of the Ozarks.
BU received votes in the preseason poll and each of the first two bi-weekly polls (Nov. 27 & Dec. 11).
Bellevue is scoring at an 80.2 (11th nationally) point per game clip as a team while holding opponents to just 66.1 points per contest. Their scoring margin of +14.1 points per game ranks 20th nationally.
The team currently has four players averaging in double figures, led by Elexis Martinez's 15.1 point per game scoring average. Morgan Cuffe (12.4), Faith Ross (12.2), and Jamie Winkler (10.3) join her in averaging double-digits.
BU ranks in the top ten nationally in both blocked shots (5th, 77) and blocked shots per game (9th, 4.28) and are seventh in turnover margin per game 7th, +6.89)
In total, the Bruins have eight players averaging at least 16.9 minutes per night in playing time while five other players have seen between 6.3 and 10.0 minutes of action per game played.
Following back-to-back victories against conference foes Dickinson State and Presentation, the Bruins hit the road with a pair of games against Mayville State (10-3, 5-3 GPAC) and Valley City State (0-0, 0-0 NSAA) this weekend. BU plays at Mayville State on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and at Valley City State on Sunday at 1 p.m.