No. 3 Central Missouri Jennies
Location: Warrensburg, Mo.
Record: 24-6
WBCA ranking: No. 23
Head coach: Dave Slifer (15th year at school)
Stat leaders: Paige Redmond, 16.5 points, 4.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds; Megan Skaggs, 15.3 points, 6 rebounds, 20 blocks; Morgan Fleming, 15.1 points, 5.6 rebounds.
Notes: Redmond (senior) and Fleming (junior) were first-team all-MIAA performers this season. … Skaggs (junior) was a third-team selection and a member of the all-defensive team. … Sydney Crockett (senior) was an honorable mentional all-MIAA pick. … UCM is the defending national champ. … The Jennies finished second to FHSU at the MIAA tournament last weekend in Kansas City, Mo. … UCM went 15-4 in MIAA play during the regular season, second best to FHSU. … Have won eight of last nine games. … Losses have been to St. Mary’s (2OT), Washburn, FHSU (twice), Pitt State and Emporia State. … First-round game against Lindenwood will be the Jennies’ fourth game against the team this season.
No. 6 Lindenwood Lions
Location: St. Charles, Mo.
Record: 21-7
WBCA ranking: NR
Head coach: Katie Falco (1st year at school)
Stat leaders: Kallie Bildner, 17.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 20 blocks; Lexie Moe, 9.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 38 steals; Charisse Williams, 9.6 points, 32 steals.
Notes: Lindenwood has used the same starting lineup all 28 games this season. … BIldner (junior) was a first-team pick on the all-MIAA team, averaging a double-double. … Moe (senior) and Williams (senior) were both honorable mention all-conference picks. … Losses have come to Drury, Southwest Baptist, Central Missouri (three times), Emporia State and FHSU. … This is the Lions’ second straight trip to the regional tourney. … The 21 wins so far are a new school record. … Lindenwood went 14-5 in MIAA games this season. … First-round game against UCM is the fourth meeting this season between the two teams.
No. 2 Southwestern Oklahoma State Lady Bulldogs
Location: Weatherford, Okla.
Record: 30-1
WBCA ranking: No. 7
Head coach: Kelsi Musick (10th year at school)
Stat leaders: Hailey Tucker, 18.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 51 blocks; Hayden Priddy, 17.0 points, 70 steals, 105 assists; Tyra Aska, 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 84 assists.
Notes: Priddy (senior) was the Great American Conference Player of the Year. … Musick was named GAC Coach of the Year and guided the team to a conference tourney title last weekend. … Priddy, Tucker (senior) and Aska (junior) were all first-team GAC picks. … Sophomore Bethany Franks was an honorable mention selection. … Only loss came to Emporia State by eight points in first game of the season. … SWOSU has won 30 in a row and has a scoring margin of +18.1. … Team was ranked first in the two regional polls prior to the weekend of conference tournaments. … Second straight season SWOSU made regional tourney. … Largest crowd SWOSU played in front of this year was 1,712. … Lady Dawgs and FHSU played in first round of regional last year, with Tigers winning 78-75. … Only team from GAC to make regional tourney. … SWOSU averages 85.4 points per game, which is fourth best in DII. … Team is fifth in the nation in steals with 401 for the season.
No. 7 Emporia State Hornets
Location: Emporia, Kan.
Record: 22-8
WBCA ranking: NR
Head coach: Toby Wynn (1st year at school)
Stat leaders: Tyra Jones, 15.7 points, 7.8 rebounds; Jessica Wayne, 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 108 steals; Emily Miller, 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds; Addie Lackey, 10.5 points, 99 assists.
Notes: Wayne (junior) was the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and a second-team pick. … Jones (senior) was a first team all-MIAA selection, while Lackey (senior), Miller (senior) and Tiana Moala (senior) all earned honorable-mention honors. … Hornets missed regional last year but are making their 20th appearance in the last 23 years. … Losses have been to Cameron, FHSU, Washburn (2OT), Missouri Western, Nebraska-Kearney, Pitt State, Central Oklahoma and Washburn (MIAA tourney). … Emporia State won the regional the last time FHSU hosted it. … Hornets won 2010 DII national title. … Team has wins over FHSU, SWOSU, Pitt State, Lindenwood and UCM this season.
No. 1 Fort Hays State Tigers
Location: Hays, Kan.
Record: 30-1
WBCA ranking: No. 3
Head coach: Tony Hobson (11th year at school)
Stat leaders: Tatyana Legette, 13.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 97 assists, 46 blocks, 45 steals; Lanie Page, 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 51 blocks, 50 steals; Kacey Kennett, 10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 52 assists, 42 steals; Belle Barbieri, 10.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 30 steals.
Notes: Legette (senior) was MIAA Player of the Year and MVP of MIAA conference tourney last weekend. … Hobson was coach of the year in the conference. … Kennett (junior) was a second-team all-MIAA pick, while Page was a third-team selection. … Barbieri (junior) and senior Carly Heim were honorable-mention picks in the MIAA. … Legette, Page and junior Taylor Rolfs were all named to all-tourney team at conference finale last weekend. … FHSU beat Pitt State by 25 on the road and by 5 at GMC this season. … Tigers went 18-1 this year in MIAA play, only losing by three to Emporia State on the road. … The Central Region tourney is the only one in the country with at least two teams with one or fewer losses. … FHSU has won 15 in a row. … Will be second time school has hosted DII regional (2015). … Tigers are fifth in DII with 158 blocks and third in the nation with only 11.1 turnovers per outing. … Tigers beat SWOSU in last year’s regional before losing to eventual national champ UCM. … Kennett averaged 18.5 points per game at regional last year. … Tigers have played in front of crowds of more than 3,000 in three of the team’s last five home games.
No. 8 Pittsburg State Gorillas
Location: Pittsburg, Kan.
Record: 21-8
WBCA ranking: NR
Head coach: Amanda Davied (1st year at school)
Stat leaders: Maya Williams, 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds; Shelby Lopez, 11.1 points, 3.9 rebounds; Athena Alvarado, 10.9 points, 7.0 rebounds; Kaylee DaMitz, 9.1 points, 130 assists, 30 steals.
Notes: DaMitz was named the freshman of the year in the MIAA. … Lopez (senior) was a second-team conference pick, while Williams was a third-team selection. … MIAA honorable mention honors went to DaMitz and Alvarado (junior). … Went 13-6 in MIAA play and finished sixth in regular season standings. … Have lost two in a row entering regional (FHSU and Lindenwood). … Trip to regional is fifth in the last seven years for Gorillas. … Losses have come to Minnesota State-Moorhead, Lindenwood (2), Emporia State, Washburn, FHSU (2) and Missouri Southern. … PSU has made the Elite Eight twice in program history (2012, 2016).
No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs
Location: Duluth, Minn.
Record: 23-6
WBCA ranking: Receiving votes
Head coach: Mandy Pearson (4th year at school)
Stat leaders: Sammy Kozlowski, 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 75 steals, 116 assists; Sarah Grow, 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 71 blocks; Brooke Olson, 8.8 points, 5.2 rebounds.
Notes: Kozlowski (senior) was Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team pick. … Grow (sophomore) was a second-team NSIC pick, and Olson was named to the all-freshman team. … Duluth and Moorhead have played three times already this season and are the only two teams from the NSIC to make the regional. Duluth is 2-1 against the Dragons, including a four-point win in the NSIC title game last weekend. … Grow averaged 1.7 blocks as a freshman and now is averaging 2.4 per game. … Duluth lost to Drury, the current No. 1 team in the country, by 12 points early in the season. … Bulldogs went 18-4 in NSIC during regular season, with all four losses coming on the road. … Losses have been to Drury, University of Mary, Michigan Tech, Minnesota-Crookston, Concordia-St. Paul and Moorhead.
No. 5 MSU-Moorhead Dragons
Location: Moorhead, Minn.
Record: 26-6
WBCA ranking: Receiving votes
Head coach: Karla Nelson (19th year at school)
Stat leaders: Megan Hintz, 15.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, 22 blocks; Kiley Borowicz, 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 71 assists, 52 steals; Jacky Volkert, 12.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 152 assists, 49 steals.
Notes: Nelson was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the team to the regular-season title for the third-straight season. … Borowicz (sophomore), Hintz (junior) and Volkert (senior) were all first-team NSIC selections. The NSIC named 12 players to its first team. … Volkert also was an all-defensive team pick, and Peyton Boom made the all-freshman team. … Dragons went 19-3 in NSIC during regular season. … Losses have been to Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Duluth (2), Minnesota State and Sioux Falls. … Moorhead has won seven of its last eight games. … Hintz has scored more than 1,000 points in her career. … The Dragons lead DII in turnovers per game, averaging only 10.8 per contest.
Schedule
Friday
Session 1
Noon – Central Missouri vs. Lindenwood
2:30 p.m. –– Southwestern Oklahoma State vs. Emporia State
Session 2
5 p.m. – Fort Hays State vs. Pittsburg State
7:30 p.m. – Minnesota-Duluth vs. MSU-Moorhead
Saturday’s semifinals
5 p.m. – Central Missouri/Lindenwood winner vs. SWOSU/ESU winner
7:30 p.m. – FHSU/PSU winner vs. UMD/MSUM winner
Monday’s final
7 p.m. – Semifinal winners