By: Christina Cracolici, Director of Athletic Communications
GORHAM, Maine – Earning its 20
th win of the season with a 98-72 win over Eastern Connecticut State Unviersity on the road this Saturday, the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's basketball team improved its 2025-2026 record to 20-2 overall and 12-1 in the Little East Conference.
The Huskies' 98-72 win over the Warriors was a successful bounce-back game after dropping a close road game at Rhode Island College to end Southern Maine's 16-game win streak. Following the 1-1 week in conference play, the Huskies remain No. 25 in the most recent Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) Division III National Poll, and are in the "Also Receiving Votes" category of the D3hoops.com Women's Basketball Pol.
The NCAA's NPI Power Index lists the University of Southern Maine as 28
th (out of 417). The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is a system that houses the division's statistical data and objectively applies the selection criteria to the data based on the sport committee's established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage; strength of schedule; home-away multiplier; quality win bonus; and overtime results (when relevant).
Earning the program's 35
th 20-win season in program history (64 seasons), the Huskies are averaging 74.7 points per game and shooting 43.8 percent (592-for-1353) as a team from the field. Defensively, Southern Maine is holding its opponents to 53.5 points per game for a +21.3 scoring margin. As a team, Southern Maine is averaging 15.5 assists per game and lead the LEC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.14) . In NCAA Division III women's basketball statistics, the Huskies are 16
th in assist-to-turnover ratio, and 13th in scoring margin.
A trio of Huskies are averaging double-figures: senior Jaycie Christopher (Skowhegan, Maine) and sophomores Lucy Wiles (Glenburn, Maine/Hampden Academy) and Dakota Shipley (Bath, Maine/Brunswick). Christopher is averaging 19.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, while Wiles is scoring 17.2 points per game and adding 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Shipley is chipping in at 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Southern Maine (20-2, 12-1 Little East) are at home on Wednesday, February 11 (5:30 pm) against Plymouth State.
D3hoops.com women's Top 25, Week 10 – Through February 8 Games
Dropped out: No. 22 UW-La Crosse; No. 25 Southern Maine
Others receiving votes: Cortland 28; Cal Lutheran 26; William Paterson 25; UW-La Crosse 16; Southern Maine 13; Susquehanna 12; Bridgewater 11; Carnegie Mellon 10; Saint Mary's (Minn.) 8; Shenandoah 6; Linfield 5; Wartburg 5; Christopher Newport 4; Coe 4; Wisconsin Lutheran 4; Hardin-Simmons 2
The
D3hoops.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of 25 coaches, Sports Information Directors and media members from across the country, and is published weekly. Points are awarded on a 25-24-23-22-etc. basis.
WBCA Division III Women's Basketball Top 25 – February 10, 2026
The WBCA NCAA Division III Top 25 women's basketball coaches' poll, with teams' RECORDS THROUGH SUNDAY in parentheses, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th, ranking in last week's poll, and first-place votes received.
| Rank |
School (record) |
Total
Points |
Last Week's
Rank |
First-Place
Votes |
| 1 |
NYU (20-0) |
250 |
1 |
10 |
| 2 |
Scranton (21-0) |
240 |
2 |
0 |
| 3 |
Johns Hopkins (20-0) |
227 |
4 |
0 |
| 4 |
Washington and Lee (21-0) |
214 |
5 |
0 |
| 5 |
UW-Oshkosh (20-1) |
206 |
3 |
0 |
| 6 |
Smith (20-1) |
204 |
6 |
0 |
| 7 |
Bowdoin (20-1) |
198 |
7 |
0 |
| 8 |
Baldwin-Wallace (20-2) |
174 |
8 |
0 |
| 9 |
John Carroll (19-2) |
164 |
10 |
0 |
| 10 |
Bates (20-2) |
146 |
12 |
0 |
| 11 |
Ohio Wesleyan (18-2) |
142 |
9 |
0 |
| 12 |
Hope (18-3) |
141 |
13 |
0 |
| 13 |
Denison (20-1) |
130 |
14 |
0 |
| 14 |
UW-Whitewater (16-5) |
112 |
11 |
0 |
| 15 |
Ripon (20-2) |
109 |
15 |
0 |
| 16 |
Washington-St. Louis (16-4) |
100 |
16 |
0 |
| 17 |
Christopher Newport (17-4) |
84 |
19 |
0 |
| 18 |
William Paterson (21-1) |
82 |
17t |
0 |
| 19 |
Illinois Wesleyan (17-5) |
69 |
20 |
0 |
| 20 |
Chicago (14-5) |
54 |
17t |
0 |
| 21 |
Carroll, WI (18-4) |
53 |
21 |
0 |
| 22 |
Trine (19-3) |
44 |
22 |
0 |
| 23 |
SUNY-Cortland (18-3) |
25 |
24t |
0 |
| 24 |
UW-Platteville (17-4) |
18 |
RV |
0 |
| 25 |
Southern Maine (20-2) |
14 |
24t |
0 |
Dropped out: No. 23 Emory (13-6).
Others receiving votes: Concordia-Moorhead (18-3) 13; Carnegie Mellon (12-7) 12; Emory (13-6) 12; Cal Lutheran (19-3) 4; Hardin-Simmons (17-4) 4; Texas Lutheran (16-5) 3; Brooklyn (19-3) 1; Linfield (17-3) 1.
The WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches Poll Committee is composed of one head coach from each of the 10 NCAA Division III regions. The committee for the 2025-26 season: Samantha Crough, Regis (MA); Brad Fischer, UW-Oshkosh; Eric Harrison, Lehman; Jasen Jonus, Oglethorpe; Melissa Kolbe, Wittenberg; Casey Kushiyama, Puget Sound; Bobbi Morgan, Ursinus; Mia Smith, Illinois Wesleyan; Daphne Thompson, SUNY Oneonta; Kelly Thompson, Roger Williams.
2025-2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball NPI – February 10, 2026
| Rk. |
Team |
Conference |
Region |
Record |
| 1 |
Wis.-Oshkosh |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
20-1 |
| 2 |
NYU |
UAA |
REGION IV |
20-0 |
| 3 |
Wash. & Lee |
ODAC |
REGION VI |
21-0 |
| 4 |
Johns Hopkins |
Centennial |
REGION V |
20-0 |
| 5 |
Scranton |
Landmark |
REGION V |
21-0 |
| 6 |
Bowdoin |
NESCAC |
REGION I |
20-1 |
| 7 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
18-2 |
| 8 |
John Carroll |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
18-1 |
| 9 |
Denison |
NCAC |
REGION VII |
19-0 |
| 10 |
Wis.-Platteville |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
16-3 |
| 11 |
Wis.-Whitewater |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
15-3 |
| 12 |
Bates |
NESCAC |
REGION I |
20-0 |
| 13 |
Baldwin Wallace |
OAC |
REGION VII |
20-1 |
| 14 |
Carroll (WI) |
CCIW |
REGION VIII |
18-1 |
| 15 |
Smith |
NEWMAC |
REGION II |
20-1 |
| 16 |
WashU |
UAA |
REGION VIII |
16-2 |
| 17 |
Concordia-M'head |
MIAC |
REGION IX |
18-3 |
| 18 |
Hope |
Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn. |
REGION VII |
18-2 |
| 19 |
UChicago |
UAA |
REGION VIII |
14-1 |
| 20 |
Wm. Paterson |
NJAC |
REGION IV |
21-0 |
| 21 |
Ill. Wesleyan |
CCIW |
REGION VIII |
15-1 |
| 22 |
Ripon |
MWC |
REGION IX |
19-1 |
| 23 |
Trine |
Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn. |
REGION VII |
16-2 |
| 24 |
Bethel (MN) |
MIAC |
REGION IX |
14-4 |
| 25 |
SUNY New Paltz |
SUNYAC |
REGION III |
20-1 |
| 26 |
Shenandoah |
ODAC |
REGION VI |
16-4 |
| 27 |
Bridgewater (VA) |
ODAC |
REGION VI |
16-3 |
| 28 |
Southern Me. |
Little East |
REGION II |
20-1 |
| 29 |
Chris. Newport |
C2C |
REGION VI |
16-1 |
| 30 |
Wis.-La Crosse |
WIAC |
REGION IX |
12-1 |
The NCAA Power Index (NPI) is a system that houses the division's statistical data and objectively applies the selection criteria to the data based on the sport committee's established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage; strength of schedule; home-away multiplier; quality win bonus; and overtime results (when relevant).
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