INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (Women's Basketball) – Following a 77-69 victory over Langston University in the opening round of the 36th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championships, the Shawnee State women's basketball team now readies for a Round of 16 matchup with Baker University on Friday.
Tip-off is slated for 1:30 p.m. ET at the Silverstein Eyes Center Arena.
The Bears advanced to the round of 16 for the sixth time in six years since joining NAIA Division I in 2010 and now turn attention to a Wildcat squad which knocked off Columbia College, 80-71, in the opening round.
Shawnee State landed four players in double figures en route to the win over Langston, as Madison Ridout (SO/Jackson, Ohio), Ali Zieverink (SR/West Chester, Ohio), Ashton Lovely (FR/Jamestown, Ohio) and Jonessa Moore (JR/Cincinnati, Ohio) each tallied double-digits.
Ridout filled up the stat sheet, pouring in 18 points, grabbing eight rebounds and tallying six assists. Lovely added 17 points, eight boards and seven assists. Zieverink notched 18 points and seven caroms, while Moore finished with 12 points.
The Wildcats received a stellar performance from Jami Hodge, who went off for an opening-round high 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.
The matchup marks the first time SSU and Baker have met in history.
While Shawnee State has enjoyed a litany of success in the opening round of the Division I National Tournament, the Bears have struggled in the second round, having not won since the 2010-11 season, when the squad ventured all the way to the semifinal round.
A victory for the Bears on Friday would set up a quarterfinal matchup versus the winner of Lewis-Clark State and Mid-South Conference foe Cumberland University. The Mid-South went 5-0 collectively in the opening round.
The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will broadcast the first 30 games leading up to the championship final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and the pre-register, click here.
For more information on the 2016 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship, click here.
