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Women's Basketball Seth Dahle, Sports Information Director

No. 9 EOU Women’s Basketball Eyes Top-Ranked St. Francis in Quarterfinals

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The No. 9 EOU women's basketball team eclipsed the 30-win mark for the second time in program history with an 83-75 victory over Dakota Wesleyan on Friday afternoon in the round of 16.
 
Now, the Mountaineers will have an opportunity to earn a spot in the semifinals of the NAIA National Championship, as they square off against first-seeded and top-ranked St. Francis on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
 
HOW THEY ADVANCED: MOUNTAINEERS
EOU (30-4) had to overcome an eight-point deficit in the second half to defeat second-seeded Dakota Wesleyan on Friday, 83-75.
 
The Mountaineers turned to junior guard Maya Ah You (Das), who put up 22 points, including a four-point play in the fourth quarter, to anchor the Blue and Gold's comeback. 
 
EOU's defense was simply dominant, as senior forward Ashley Knight took back-to-back charges in the third quarter to keep the Tigers at bay. Junior forward Mariah Swanson and junior forward Stormee Van Belle scored back-to-back buckets in the paint to put EOU up six (67-61), and the Mountaineers' suffocating defense held the Tigers to only three field goals in the final 7:14 to seal the win.
 
The Mountaineers shot a blistering 27-for-30 (90 percent) from the line against the Tigers, who shot just 73 percent (19-for-26) after entering the matchup as second-best free throw shooting team in the country
 
HOW THEY ADVANCED: FIGHTING SAINTS
Saint Francis (33-1) marched past fifth-seeded Tabor, 69-53, on Friday afternoon to reach the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship.
 
After falling behind by five (15-10) in the first quarter, the Fighting Saints went on an 18-2 run to close the first half and enter the locker room with a 28-17 advantage. Saint Francis stretched the lead to 23 on five occasions on the way to victory. The top seed outrebounded Tabor, 47-29, and went 13-for-15 from the free throw line in the second half.
 
Kamari Jordan (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Kaitlin Aylward (18 points, 14 rebounds) both notched double-doubles, while Angelica Osusky added 10 points for the Fighting Saints.
 
AT A GLANCE: ST. FRANCIS
Schedule | Roster | Stats | Athletics Website
 
Saint Francis enters Saturday's matchup as the top ranked team in the land with a 33-1 overall record. The Fighting Saints' only loss was against Saint Xavier in the championship game of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Tournament.
 
Five players average double-figure scoring for the Fighting Saints, who rank 11th in the NAIA in scoring offense (81.03). Charnelle Reed puts up 17.1 points per game and shoots over 52 percent from the floor, while Kamari Jordan and Jordan Giddings average 12.3 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
 
Saint Francis' average margin of victory is 20 (8th – NAIA), and the Fighting Saints average nearly 19 assists per contest.
 
Earlier this season, the squad received the opportunity to scrimmage against two NCAA Division I powerhouses in DePaul and Florida State. Saint Francis lost to the Blue Demons by 70 (126-56) before falling to Florida State down in Tallahassee, Fla., by a 91-38 margin.
 
Saint Francis earned an automatic berth to the tournament by virtue of winning the CCAC regular season and is making its third trip to the NAIA National Championship.
 
HEAD-TO-HEAD: EOU VS. ST. FRANCIS 
STAT EOU SF
Overall Record 30-4 33-1
Points Per Game 75.33 81.03
Scoring Margin 19.30 20.00
Field Goal Pct. 45.3 44.7
3-PT Field Goal Pct. 36.6 35.6
3-PT Field Goal Made Per Game 8.93 7.57
Free Throw Pct. 69.9 74.9
Rebounds Per Game 42.97 41.33
Rebounding Margin 10.78 6.54
Assists Per Game 17.87 18.90
Turnovers Per Game 15.75 14.36
Turnover Margin -0.242 4.87
Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.13 1.31
Steals Per Game 7.39 10.42
Blocks Per Game 2.73 3.36
 
WHERE TO WATCH IN LA GRANDE
Fans looking to cheer on the Mountaineers can watch the game live in the booster room of Quinn Coliseum or at Benchwarmer's Pub & Grill in downtown La Grande.
 
For directions to Quinn Coliseum, click here. For directions to Benchwarmer's Pub & Grill, click here.
 
LIVE STATS/VIDEO
Fans can follow live stats for free, or watch live video pay-per-view. A single-game package costs $9.95, while a championship pass costs $29.95.
Live Stats/Video Link
 
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Players Mentioned

Maya Ah You Dias

#1 Maya Ah You Dias

G
5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
Ashley Knight

#25 Ashley Knight

G/F
5' 8"
Senior
Mariah Swanson

#33 Mariah Swanson

F
5' 11"
Junior
Stormee Van Belle

#34 Stormee Van Belle

F
6' 0"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Maya Ah You Dias

#1 Maya Ah You Dias

5' 8"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Ashley Knight

#25 Ashley Knight

5' 8"
Senior
G/F
Mariah Swanson

#33 Mariah Swanson

5' 11"
Junior
F
Stormee Van Belle

#34 Stormee Van Belle

6' 0"
Junior
F