The Fort Hays State women’s basketball team vaulted to No. 11 in the latest WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Tuesday (Dec. 11). The Lady Tigers, which now sit at 8-0 overall, jumped six spots for the second straight week after holding the No. 17 spot last week and the No. 23 spot in the previous week.
The No. 11 ranking is the highest national ranking ever for the FHSU women setting a new high for the third straight week. The only other year the Lady Tigers were ever ranked in the program’s NCAA history was in 1996-97 for two weeks at No. 25.
Fort Hays State is one of three teams from the MIAA in the national rankings this week. Washburn is the highest ranked team from the MIAA at No. 7 this week, up one spot from No. 8 last week. The Lady Blues, like the Lady Tigers, are still unbeaten overall. Pittsburg State, which was No. 3 a couple weeks ago, continued its slide down the poll to No. 18 this week after suffering its second loss of the season this past week.
Fort Hays State dispatched Central Missouri back out of the rankings with its 45-point win over the Jennies in Hays this past week. The Jennies were No. 23 in the nation last week. Following their loss to the Lady Tigers, the Jennies helped oust Emporia State from the rankings by defeating the Hornets in Warrensburg. However, Emporia State, which was No. 21 last week, lost earlier in the week to an unranked Northeastern State team before falling to Central Missouri.
Fort Hays State is one of 13 teams in the Top 25 this week that remains unbeaten overall for the season. The Lady Tigers currently have three one-loss teams sitting in front of them in the poll. The top seven teams in the country are all unbeaten.
Below is the Top 25 Poll for Tuesday, December 11, 2012.
| Rank | Institution – First Place Votes | Previous Rank | Record | Total Points |
| 1 | Ashland University (Ohio) -31 | 1 | 10-0 | 775 |
| 2 | Bentley University (Mass.) | 2 | 7-0 | 741 |
| 3 | University of South Carolina – Aiken | 3 | 6-0 | 704 |
| 4 | Clayton State University (Ga.) | 4 | 5-0 | 656 |
| 5 | University of Indianapolis (Ind.) | 5 | 6-0 | 642 |
| 6 | Augustana College (S.D.) | 7 | 7-0 | 609 |
| 7 | Washburn University (Kan.) | 8 | 6-0 | 585 |
| 8 | Gannon University (Pa.) | 10 | 8-1 | 511 |
| 9 | Simon Fraser University (BC) | 12 | 8-1 | 481 |
| 10 | Holy Family University (Pa.) | 13 | 8-1 | 426 |
| 11 | Fort Hays State University (Kan.) | 17 | 8-0 | 411 |
| 12 | Wayne State College (Neb.) | 15 | 5-1 | 400 |
| 13 | Shaw University (N.C.) | 9 | 1-0 | 394 |
| 14 | Limestone College (S.C.) | 20 | 6-0 | 279 |
| 15 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 14 | 6-1 | 257 |
| 16 | Grand Canyon University (Ariz.) | 18 | 8-2 | 248 |
| 17 | Nova Southeastern University (Fla.) | 19 | 5-1 | 226 |
| 18 | Pittsburg State University (Kan.) | 11 | 6-2 | 207 |
| 19 | Colorado Mesa University | 25 | 8-0 | 198 |
| 20 | California State University – Chico | NR | 6-0 | 196 |
| 21 | Western Washington University | 6 | 6-2 | 191 |
| 22 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | 16 | 5-1 | 128 |
| 23 | Rollins College (Fla.) | 22 | 6-2 | 116 |
| 24 | University of Tampa (Fla.) | NR | 7-0 | 107 |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin – Parkside | 24 | 4-1 | 101 |