Pride women's basketball holds steady at No. 8 in the NAIA Coaches' Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the penultimate NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll of the 2022-23 season, the Clarke University women's basketball team continues to sit at the No. 8 spot that they've held for the previous three polls and now five out of the seven total polls of the season.

The Pride earned 441 voting points in the poll to sit 10 points ahead of No. 9 Loyola University (La.) and 12 points ahead of No. 10 Lewis-Clark State with No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan at 475 points in the poll.

Clarke sits at a 21-3 overall record and 15-3 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference with two of their three losses coming against No. 2 Central Methodist University as the Eagles came up just one voting point short of being ranked No. 1 in the latest poll as the lone undefeated team left in the rankings. Thomas More University maintains their No. 1 ranking as both they and CMU received 10 first place votes as the Saints have been ranked No. 1 all season after winning the NAIA Tournament Championship in the 2021-22 season.

As of the poll's announcement, CU has four players averaging double figures in scoring led by Tina Ubl's 12.3 points per game with Nicole McDermott scoring 11.3 points per game, Emma Kelching at 11.0 points per game, and Taylor Haaase providing 10.6 points per game off the bench. Along with the four averaging double figures, four members of the Pride are averaging over five rebounds per game led by McDermott's 7.3 rebounds per game while Kelchen at 5.5 rebounds per game, Skylar Culbertson at 5.3 rebounds per game, and Haase right at 5.0 rebounds per game.

The Pride have four games remaining in the regular season as they sit in the second spot in the Heart standings looking to solidify home court advantage through the first two rounds of the Heart Tournament beginning on Feb. 22. CU will be on the road tonight to face William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa for a 5:30 p.m. CT tip against the Statesmen.