Women's Basketball 10/24/2017 5:34:00 PM

Stars open season atop national rankings

OCU has appeared in 239 consecutive national polls

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion Oklahoma City University garnered the No. 1 slot in the preseason NAIA Division I women's basketball rankings.
Oklahoma City reached the top spot in the ratings for the first time since the April 1, 2015 postseason top 25 and the 50th time overall since 1999-2000. The Stars last opened the season at No. 1 in the 2014-15 preseason poll released Oct. 28, 2014.
OCU has appeared in each top-25 poll since 1997-98 for the NAIA's longest active streak of consecutive rankings at 239. The Stars took eight of the nine No. 1 votes and 219 points.
The Sooner Athletic Conference boasted of three teams among the rankings. No. 12 John Brown (Ark.) and 23rd-ranked Wayland Baptist (Texas) from the SAC also appeared in the poll. OCU is set to take on ninth-ranked Benedictine (Kan.), No. 13 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) and 20th-ranked Loyola (La.) in non-conference play.
OCU took its ninth national championship 73-66 over Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on March 21 in Billings, Mont. Oklahoma City's nine national championships were won in 1988, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
The Stars reached fifth in the rankings in the last poll of the season March 8. OCU ended the season on a 20-game winning streak, becoming the fifth team in program history to win as many as 34 games. OCU captured the SAC regular-season and tournament titles.
OCU begins the season 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Langston.

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