11th-ranked Northwestern College matches up against 6th-ranked Eastern Oregon in a second round match-up on Friday, March 9 at the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa. Tip-off at the Tyson Events Center is slated for 3:30 pm. Northwestern, a No.2 seed, is 23-8 on the season; the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon 31-2 heading into Friday’s showdown.
Northwestern is in its 15th appearance at the NAIA D-II Women’s Basketball National Championship, tied with Indiana Wesleyan and Morningside for fifth most among this year’s 32-team field. This is the Red Raiders second consecutive appearance, losing to Southeastern (Fla.) in the second round after upsetting Southern Oregon in the first game last season. Northwestern has won the most championships (5) and is the active wins leader, boasting a 46-9 overall record. The Red Raiders won the championship in 2001, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
This is the 11th overall appearance for the Mountaineers at the D-II Championship, tied for eighth most in this year’s field, and they have an 8-10 all-time record at the tournament. They have reached the quarterfinals four times (2012, 13. 16, 17), including last year when they lost to St. Francis (Ill.).
