KANSAS CITY, Mo.
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SCORES | SCHEDULE |
BRACKET] Two CCC teams continue onto the second round of the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
College of Idaho def. Briar Cliff (Iowa), 71-63
The College of Idaho advanced with a 71-63 victory over Briar Cliff in the NAIA First Round. The Yotes built an early advantage, shooting 50 percent in the opening quarter and extending the lead to 40-31 at halftime after knocking down five three-pointers in the second period. College of Idaho pulled away in the third quarter, pushing the lead to as many as 18 points before holding off a late Briar Cliff rally. For the Yotes, Kylie Waltermeyer led all scorers with 23 points while adding seven rebounds. Brooke Beresford contributed 12 points and five rebounds, and Riley Beck added eight points and six rebounds off the bench. College of Idaho shot 44 percent from the field and controlled the glass with a 49-34 rebounding advantage while scoring 36 points in the paint. Briar Cliff was paced by Mallie McNair with 24 points. With the win, the Yotes improve to 22-8 overall and advance to face Saint Francis (Ind.) in the NAIA Second Round tomorrow.
Yote Recap
Lewis-Clark State College def. Hope International (Calif.), 74-65
Lewis-Clark State advanced with a 74-65 victory over Hope International in the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament First Round. After the teams were tied 34-34 at halftime, the Warriors pulled away with a strong second half, using an 11-2 run in the third quarter to gain momentum before extending the lead in the final period. Payton Hymas led all scorers with a career-high 25 points while adding six steals. Sitara Byrd recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-best 15 rebounds along with five assists. Darian Herring added 11 rebounds, while Kendall Wallace contributed nine points on three three-pointers and Madalyn Green chipped in a career-high eight points off the bench. LC State shot 41.8 percent from the field, outrebounded HIU 45-32, and forced 21 turnovers with 12 steals. The Warriors advance on their home court to face Montana Tech in the NAIA Second Round tomorrow.
Warrior Recap
Texas A&M University–San Antonio def. Corban Univeristy, 94-82
Corban saw its season come to a close in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round with a 94-82 loss to Texas A&M University–San Antonio. The Jaguars capitalized on early opportunities, forcing 14 first-half turnovers that led to 14 points and helped secure a 39-36 halftime lead. Corban trimmed the deficit to one point early in the third quarter, but TAMUSA continued to apply pressure defensively, finishing with 21 forced turnovers while committing just eight. For the Warriors, Emilia Bishop led all scorers with 28 points while adding 11 rebounds and four blocks for a double-double. Jenna Albrecht added 21 points and five rebounds, while Jersey Huerta contributed 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Texas A&M–San Antonio was led by 20 points each from Hailee Brandon and Kiera Sanderlin. Corban concludes its season with a 26-5 overall record after capturing both the Cascade Collegiate Conference regular-season and tournament championships.
Warrior Recap
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) def. Southern Oregon Univeristy, 83-64
Southern Oregon's season came to a close with an 83-64 loss to Rocky Mountain in the opening round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament. Rocky Mountain relied on a dominant trio, combining for 69 points to push the Battlin’ Bears to the Round of 32. Paige Wasson led all scorers with 25 points for RMC. SOU mounted a strong push early in the second half, using a 13-0 run to cut a 14-point deficit to one. Bridgette McIntyre led the Raiders with 24 points, including six three-pointers, while Keeley Wright added 17 points, five rebounds, five steals, and four assists. Eliza DiGiulio chipped in 11 points and five rebounds. The Raiders conclude their season with a 19-11 overall record.
Raider Recap
College of the Ozarks (Mo.) def. Eastern Oregon Univeristy, 82-67
Eastern Oregon saw its season come to an end with an 82-67 loss to College of the Ozarks in the opening round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament. The Bobcats built an early lead and held a 42-39 advantage at halftime. EOU stayed within reach through three quarters, but College of the Ozarks pulled away in the final period, outscoring 22-14 to secure the win. Haylee Johnson paced the Mountaineers with 18 points and nine rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting. Kali Kast added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. EOU controlled the paint with a 44-32 scoring advantage inside. College of the Ozarks was led by a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds from Zoe Hinze. Eastern Oregon concludes the season with a 25-6 overall record.
Mountaineer Recap
Huntington (Ind.) def. Oregon Tech, 57-52
Oregon Tech’s season came to a close with a 57-52 loss to Huntington in the first round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship. Defense dominated throughout the contest, with neither team shooting above 33 percent from the field. OIT held a narrow 46-44 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Huntington limited the Owls to 3-of-19 shooting in the final period to pull away late. Ayla Marston led Oregon Tech with a game-high 16 points, while Tatum Schmerbach added 12 points and nine rebounds for her 37th consecutive double-digit scoring performance. Olivia Sprague closed out her career with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds, and Avery Andrews contributed seven points and 12 boards. Despite a 49-34 rebounding advantage, OIT shot just 28 percent from the field. Addie Shank paced Huntington with 14 points. The Owls conclude the season with a 19-12 overall record.
Owl Recap