KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The West Liberty University men's basketball team moved up to No. 8 on Tuesday when the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) released its fifth NCAA Division II weekly poll of the 2021-22 regular season.
    This week's rankings include all games played before the NCAA Division II mandatory holiday break from Dec. 21-27. A limited number of games are on tap beginning tonight before second semester action gets under way next week.
    Coach Ben Howlett's Hilltoppers (10-1) closed out their pre-holiday slate in convincing fashion, blasting Wilmington (Del.), 108-74, on Dec. 20. It was the sixth straight win for the Black and Gold, who moved up one spot in the poll after being ranked No. 9 the previous week.
    This is the 193^rd NCAA Division II Top 25 ranking for the WLU program and the 157^th time West Liberty has been ranked in the Top 10.
    The top two teams remained unchanged with unbeaten Lubbock Christian (12-0) at No. 1 and defending national champion Northwest Missouri State (11-1) at No. 2. There was considerable shuffling behind the two front-runners, however, as four of the Top 10 teams from the previous poll were upset victims.
    Mercyhurst (10-1) dropped from No. 3 to No. 7 after its first loss of the season while Indiana, Pa. (10-1) fell from 6^th to 10^th after also dropping from the ranks of the unbeaten. Augusta, Ga. (9-1) slipped from No. 8 to No. 12 and Lincoln Memorial, Tenn. (9-2) plummeted from No. 10 to No. 17 after a two-point road loss at No. 16 Queens, N.C. (11-2).
    Nova Southeastern, Fla. (10-0) and Chico State, Calif. (9-0) each moved up a spot to finish off the top five. Less than 10 votes separated the next three teams – Cal State-San Bernardino (10-1), Mercyhurst and West Liberty – with unbeaten Minnesota-Duluth (13-0) and IUP rounding out the top 10.
    Fairmont State (9-2) held onto a Top 25 spot at No. 24, bouncing back with a pair of impressive wins following a road loss at Glenville State in overtime.
    The Hilltoppers will close out their non-conference schedule on Monday when they host Bowie State (Md.) out of the CIAA in a 4 p.m. game at the ASRC. Mountain East Conference action resumes on Jan. 5 when West Liberty welcomes Concord to town for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
       Team (FPV)                                                 Rec          Pts       Pvs
  1. Lubbock Christian, Texas (13)             12-0         397           1
  2. NW Missouri State (3)                          11-1         387           2
  3. West Texas A&M                                   13-1         360           4
  4. Nova Southeastern, Fla.                       10-0         352           5
  5. Chico State, Calif.                                     9-0         336           7
  6. Cal State-San Bernardino                     10-1         288         12
  7. Mercyhurst, Pa.                                     10-1         285           3
  8. WEST LIBERTY                                        10-1         280           9
  9. Minnesota Duluth                                 13-0         269         17
10. Indiana, Pa.                                               9-1         263           6
11. Cal State San Marcos                              9-0         233         15
12. Augusta, Ga.                                             9-1         200           8
13. Upper Iowa                                             12-1         183         24
14. Dominican, N.Y.                                       9-1         170         18
15. Barry, Fla.                                                  8-1         160         19
16. Queens, N.C.                                          11-2         152         21
17. Lincoln Memorial, Tenn.                        9-2         143         10
18. Embry-Riddle, Fla.                                 11-2         116         11
19. Truman State, Mo.                                  7-2           90         20
20. Regis, Colo.                                             10-1           85        NR
21. Hillsdale, Mich.                                         9-2           78         13
22. West Florida                                           11-1           59        NR
23. Ferris State, Mich.                                   9-2           54         16
24. FAIRMONT STATE                                   9-2           50         14
25. Georgia College                                        9-1           44        NR
     Others receiving votes: UNC Pembroke 36, Flagler (Fla.) 35, Augustana (S.D.) 17, Central Oklahoma 11, Texas A&M-Commerce 10, Angelo State (Texas) 8, Columbus State (Ga.) 8, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 8, SE Oklahoma State 8, Texas-Tyler 6, Bentley (Mass.) 5, Southwest Baptist (Mo.) 5, Grand Valley State (Mich.) 4, Union (Tenn.) 3, Emporia State (Kan.) 1