Week 11 of Dr. Cavil’s Inside the HBCU Sports Lab Women’s Mid-Major Top 5 rankings brought stability, as no new teams entered the poll and each program held firm in its previous position. Despite postseason setbacks across the board, all five squads maintained their standing to close out the rankings.
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No. 5 – Edward Waters Lady Tigers (23-6, 21-3)
The Lady Tigers of Edward Waters University remain at No. 5 after a dominant run through the SIAC, finishing 21-3 and atop the Eastern Division. However, their postseason took an unexpected turn, as EWU suffered a stunning 80-49 loss to Albany State in the SIAC Tournament—just one month after defeating the same opponent by 40 points.
Despite the early exit, Edward Waters earned a historic berth in the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament, marking the program’s first appearance. As the No. 8 seed, the Lady Tigers faced No. 1 seed UAH but fell 95-85 in the opening round.
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No. 4 – Langston Lady Lions (24-6, 18-4)
Langston holds steady at No. 4, following a season that mirrored Edward Waters in many ways. The Lady Lions dominated the Sooner Athletic Conference during the regular season but were upset in the first round of the conference tournament, falling 60-56 to No. 9 seed Texas Wesleyan.
Despite the disappointment, Langston secured a bid to the 2026 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament. As the No. 8 seed in their quadrant, the Lady Lions battled No. 9 Bethel (Ind.) but came up just short in a 67-64 heartbreaker.
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No. 3 – Fayetteville State Lady Broncos (21-6, 13-3)
Fayetteville State remains at No. 3 after earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. Entering as the No. 5 seed, the Lady Broncos faced No. 4 Seton Hill in a tightly contested matchup.
Despite a strong effort, Fayetteville State was edged out 88-85, ending a solid postseason push.
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No. 2 – Miles Lady Golden Bears (25-6, 20-4)
Miles continues to hold the No. 2 spot after another impressive campaign that included a third consecutive SIAC Tournament championship. The Lady Golden Bears returned to the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament as the No. 4 seed.
Matched up against Nova Southeastern, Miles fell behind early and was unable to recover, ultimately losing 91-71 to the Sharks.
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No. 1 – Winston-Salem State Lady Rams (28-4, 14-2)
Winston-Salem State closes out the rankings in familiar territory at No. 1. After capturing the CIAA Tournament title, the Lady Rams entered the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament as the No. 3 seed.
WSSU put together an impressive run, defeating No. 6 Glenville State (88-71) and No. 2 Gannon (67-48) to advance to the regional championship game. In a dramatic finish, the Lady Rams suffered a heartbreaking 65-64 loss to Indiana (PA) on a game-winning shot with just six seconds remaining.
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Dropping Out: N/A
Receiving Votes:
• Lane Lady Dragons (22-8, 19-5) – 30 points
• Bowie State Lady Bulldogs (19-8, 10-5) – 25 points
• Oakwood Lady Ambassadors (16-8, 10-2) – 21 points
• Wiley Lady Wildcats (13-7, 9-3) – 19 points
• Paul Quinn Lady Tigers (14-10, 8-4) – 13 points
