Undefeated Pride stay at No. 4 first NAIA Coaches Poll of 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Now over halfway through the 2023-24 season, the Clarke University women's basketball team finds itself still at the No. 4 spot in the NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll for the fourth-straight poll dating back to Nov. 8.

The Pride currently sit at 16-0 as one of the three undefeated teams left in the NAIA rankings as they've set a new program record for most wins to start a season and their currrent winning steak that extends to 22 games dating back to the start of the NAIA Tournament in the 2022-23 season.

Rounding out the top five is the same top-three ahead of CU that has been since the Nov. 8 poll in No. 1 Dordt University, No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University, and No. 3 Campbellsville University as the team at No. 5 is Marian University, who enters the top five after previously sitting at No. 6.

Clarke women's basketball has competed in seven games between the last poll in December and today's release as they've averaged a margin of victory just over 13 points but the Pride have been tested in some tighly contested games in the Heart in a two-point win on the road over Grand View University and a three-point home win over Mount Mercy University.

At an 80.5 points per game mark, the Pride sit at 21st in the NAIA for scoring offense as they also sit in 10th in field goal percentage, currently shooting a program-best 46.3 percent from the field as their 39.3 percent mark from three point range is also on pace to set a new program record and the fourth-best in the NAIA.

Leading the way in a majority of the significant statistical categories for Clarke is senior guard Nicole McDermott as the two-time NAIA All-America Honorable Mention currently leads the Pride in points per game (16.8), field goal percentage (56.6%), three point field goal percentage (54.5%), rebounds per game (9.9), assists per game (3.1), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), and steals per game (1.8).

Contrary to those numbers, it is not just the Nicole McDermott show for CU as they also tout four other players averaging double figures in scoring with Taylor Haase (14.8), Mya Merschman (14.8), and Taylor Norris (12.3).

Norris is the member of that trio that has taken a big leap as the first player off the bench scoring in double figures in four of her last five games, inclduing a pair of 20-point performances with 24 against St. Ambrose on Dec. 22 and 23 points against Mount Mercy on Jan. 10 that was capped off by a game-winning three pointer with three seconds remaining in the game.

Clarke women's basketball will wrap up the month of January with four of their next five games all being at home in the Kehl Center strating with their next game on Saturday, Jan. 20 when they host a rematch against Benedictine College at 12:00 p.m. CT.