The first Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll after the calendar turned saw the effects of one of the biggest games of the season just before 2016 ended.
Emporia State moved up three spots in the rankings to No. 2 following its 78-70 win over then-No. 3 Pitt State. The Lady Hornets (11-2) halted PSU’s 11-game winning streak and have now won three straight.
ESU has only one game this week, hosting Washburn on Saturday.
The Gorillas (12-1) fell three places in the poll to No. 6, but rebounded quickly after the ESU loss to claim a 94-62 non-conference win at Northwestern Oklahoma State.
PSU stays on the road for the next two games, traveling to Missouri Western on Thursday and to Northwest Missouri on Saturday.
Fort Hays State also received votes again in this week’s poll.
Complete poll:
| Rank | School (Record) | Points | First-Place Votes |
Last Week’s Rank |
| 1 | Ashland (14-0) | 598 | 22 | 1 |
| 2 | Emporia State (12-1) | 556 | 0 | 5 |
| 3 | Virginia Union (9-0) | 512 | 2 | 6 |
| 4 | Bellarmine (10-1) | 490 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Angelo State (10-0) | 486 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | Pittsburg State (11-1) | 485 | 0 | 3 |
| 7 | Alaska-Anchorage (10-0) | 476 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | California, PA (11-1) | 444 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Colorado State-Pueblo (13-0) | 422 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Lincoln Memorial (11-0) | 405 | 0 | 10 |
| 11 | California Baptist (13-2) | 362 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 | Drury (11-2) | 297 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 | Arkansas Tech (7-1) | 267 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 | Winona State (12-2) | 261 | 0 | 16 |
| 15 | Seattle Pacific (11-1) | 228 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Lewis (11-2) | 200 | 0 | 17 |
| 17 | Bentley (11-3) | 194 | 0 | 12 |
| 18 | Wheeling Jesuit (9-1) | 186 | 0 | 18 |
| 19 | Columbus State (8-0) | 156 | 0 | 23 |
| 20 | Central Oklahoma (11-1) | 104 | 0 | 19 |
| 21 | Grand Valley State (9-3) | 98 | 0 | 21 |
| 21 | North Georgia (10-1) | 98 | 0 | 24 |
| 23 | Clayton State (9-2) | 80 | 0 | 22 |
| 24 | Minnesota State-Moorhead (11-1) | 71 | 0 | NR |
| 25 | Northern State (10-2) | 65 | 0 | 25 |
Dropped Out: No. 20 Florida Southern (8-4).
Others receiving votes: Eckerd (10-2) 52; Saint Mary’s, TX (11-2) 29; Adelphi (11-2) 28; Simon Fraser (12-2) 24; Queens, NY (10-3) 17; Central Missouri (10-1) 17; Regis, CO (10-2) 11; West Florida (9-2) 11; Limestone (7-3) 10; Anderson, SC (8-2) 9; Glenville State (9-1) 8; Caldwell (10-3) 7; Fort Hays State (11-2) 7.