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Dixie St., Grand Canyon & HPU in West Region Top 10 Poll; Murphy leads nation in scoring
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – For the sixth straight week, the
Pacific West Conference has a trio of teams in the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball West
Region Poll.
Grand Canyon (23-2/18-2) remained at #3 for the second consecutive week, while Dixie State (19-2/18-2 In-Region) jumped one spot from fifth to fourth. Hawai‘i Pacific (16-6/13-6) is hanging in at #10.
The Division II women’s basketball committee in Indianapolis released the rankings on Wednesday, March 2. The Top 10 teams are listed in each of the eight regions. The next ranking will be the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Division II Tournament field and will take place during the selection show on Sunday, March 6.
Both Dixie State and Grand Canyon remained ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll that was released on March 1. Dixie State fell to 14th in the nation, while Grand Canyon climbed up one spot to #8.
Grand Canyon senior guard Samantha Murphy (Phoenix,
AZ/Xavier Prep) continues to lead all NCAA Division II women’s basketball players in
scoring with her 25.2 points per game average – nearly
four points per game better than second place Reyna Colson of Cal
Poly Pomona (21.3). She also leads the nation in free throw
shooting at 91.5% (195 for 213), while her 2.9 three-pointers made
per game ranks her 15th in the country.
Senior teammate Rosalyn Nelson (Phoenix, AZ/Deer Valley) is among the national leaders in steals per game. Her 3.4 per-contest average ties her for ninth among all Division II players.
Dixie State senior Erica Carlson (Tucson, AZ/Canyon del Oro) also tops an NCAA II statistical category – blocked shots per game. She ranks first in the nation in rejections with her 4.0 per-game average, while senior teammate Breann Hill (Harrisburg, PA/McDevitt) stands 13th in the nation in field goal percentage (57.0% - 135 of 237). Red Storm sophomore Johnna Brown (Las Vegas, NV/Centennial) is 19th in shooting at 55.8% (140 for 251) and 19th in rebounds per game (10.5).
Hawai‘i Hilo junior forward Hillary Hurley (Anderson, CA/Enterprise) ranks 10th in the country in shooting at 58.5%. She has made 113 of 193 field goal attempts. BYU-Hawaii junior guard Dara Tompkison (Honolulu, HI/Punahou) is fifth in assists per game (5.9), while senior guard Richelle Rieben (Coeur d’Alene, ID/Lake City) stands fourth in three-pointers made per contest (3.7).
