2021 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Preview - Cascade Collegiate Conference Skip To Main Content

Cascade Collegiate Conference

2021 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Preview

2021 NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Preview

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NAIA Office

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – [Game Program – PDF | Bracket – PDF | Live Stats] The 40th  annual NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship tips off this Wednesday, March 18 inside the Tyson Events Center.
 
Fourteenth-seeded Lewis-Clark State College tips off the single-elimination championship against third-seeded Campbellsville on Friday at 1:00 p.m. Central.
 
The first 30 games of the national championship will be video-streamed live at www.NAIANetwork.com, the NAIA’s official video-streaming platform powered by Stretch Internet. The semifinals on March 22 at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Central, as well as the championship final on March 23 at 7:00 p.m. Central, will air on ESPN3.
 
The Experience NAIA Championships app is also available for download and includes championship tournament information CLICK HERE to download.
 
Championship Nugget
  • There are six teams in the championship field that have won a title: Concordia (Neb.), Indiana Wesleyan, Marian (Ind.), MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Morningside (Iowa) and Westmont (Calif.)
  • Morningside (Iowa) has the highest number of titles on their record of teams in the championship field with four.
  • Concordia (Neb.) won the most recent title in 2019
  • Only two of the 16 teams that advanced to Sioux City did not qualify in 2020. Dakota State (S.D.) last qualified in 2021 and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) last qualified in 2011.
  • Four teams in the field have recorded 20 or more championship tournament appearances: Campbellsville (Ky.) 29, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) 23, Concordia (Neb.) 20, Morningside (Iowa) 20.
  • The Crossroads League boasts the most teams that advanced to the finals site with three: Indiana Wesleyan, Marian (Ind.) and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).
  • This is the first year that the championship is back to one division in basketball since 1991.
  • The full championship field changed from 32 teams that advances to the final site directly to 48 teams that played in 16 opening rounds before one team from each opening round would advance to the final site in Sioux City.
  • Westmont (Calif.) set a new championship record during their opening round match-up against Montana Western. The Warriors 21 three-pointers in the victory set a new program and NAIA Championship record. The previous NAIA record was 17, set by Morningside (Iowa) against Cedarville (Ohio) in 2004.
  • This is the second time that Clarke (Iowa) has advanced to the Round of 16. The last time was in 2019.
  • Morningside (Iowa) enters the final site on a 21-game win streak. The Mustangs opening round win was also their first championship win since 2018.
  • Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) is the only at-large team that remains in the tournament field. The other 15 teams were automatic qualifiers from out of their conference.
  • Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) is the only No. 3 seed to advance out of its pod. The Cougars advance to the round of 16 for the first time in program history.
  • Lyon (Ark.) and Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) were the only No. 2 seed to advance out of their opening round pod.
  • The Vanguard (Calif.) and MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) during opening rounds was the only game that advanced to overtime so far.
 
 

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