Game Time...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 3:30pm. Northwestern, a No.2 seed, is 23-8 on the season; the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon 31-2 heading into Friday's showdown. 

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All-Time...This will be the first ever match-up between the two teams. 

Championship History..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.). 

Championship Format...The 32-team field  is made up of 22 automatic berths and 10 at-large selections. Automatic qualification is given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up depending on the conference. At-large teams were determined using the final regular-season Coaches' Top 25 Poll.

Scouting Reports...

    6th Ranked / No. 2 Seed  Eastern Oregon Mountaineers: 20-0 (1st), 31-2     Head Coach: Anji Weissenflah (18th year)

One of three teams from the Cascade Collegiate Conference, joining Southern Oregon and Northwest Christian, the Mountaineers won both the CCC regular season and postseason titles. They come into Friday's game on a 25-game win streak and own a robust 31-2 overall record. Their two losses are to Montana Tech (71-67) and Montana Western (79-65), both from the NAIA D-I ranks. The Mountaineers finished the season ranked sixth in the NAIA and own one of the four No.2 seeds. 

Weissenflah has been the Mountaineers head coach since the 2000-01 season and has guided teams to nine NAIA D-II championship appearances and over 300 wins. She has 13 20+ win seasons in her 18 years at the helm and returns four starters and seven players from 2016-17 team that finished 30-5 overall. 

    By the Numbers:  (Conf. Rank / NAIA-rank (if top 10)
       Scoring Offense: 82.3ppg (1st / 6th)
        Scoring Defense: 57.8ppg (1st)
        Field Goal %: 47% (1st / 5th)
        Field Goal % Defense: 36% (2nd)
        3pt %: 42% (1st / 1st)   
        3pt Made: 345 (1st / 4th)
        Free Throw %:80 (1st /3rd)
        Rebound Margin: +8 (2nd / 9th)
        TO / Game-13
    
    Top Players:
        Maya Ah-You-Dias (All-American, CCC Player of the Year) 17.1ppg (2nd), 49% (5th), 44% 3pt, 75 3pters, 110 assists (7th)
        Stormee Van Belle (CCC Defensive Player of the Year)  14.3ppg (4th), 57% FG, 6.7rpg, 90 assists
        Payton Parrish-13.2ppg, 103 3pters (1st /3rd), 44% 3pt, 6.5rpg
        Maren Herrud-10.7ppg, 60 3pters, 49% 3pt (1st / 5th)
        Mariah Swanson-10.4ppg, 35 3pters

11th-ranked / No.3 seed Northwestern College: 16-4 (T2nd), 23-8     Head Coach: Chris Yaw (7th year)

The 23-wins by Northwestern is the most since the 2013-14 season and is the 16th time the Red Raiders have won at least 20 games in a season. They finished tied with Dakota Wesleyan for second place in the conference regular season with a 16-4 record and then lost to the Tigers in the conference semifinals. They earned the second of 10 at-large bids into the championship.

Yaw has guided Red Raider teams to the national tournament in five of his seven seasons and has made it to at least the second round in each of those years. 

By the Numbers: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 78.2ppg (4th)
    Scoring Defense: 65.4ppg (4th)
    Field Goal Percentage: 48% (2nd /4th)
    3pt Percentage: 33% (6th), 185 3pters (8th)
    Free Throw Percentage: 75% (3rd)
    Rebound Margin: +9 (2nd / 8th)

Top Players: (GPAC rank / NAIA rank-if top 10) *returning starter
    *Kassidy De Jong (2x All-American) 17ppg (2nd), 8rpg (2nd), 48 assists
     *Darbi Gustafson (3x All-Conference)  14.5ppg (6th), 7.5rpg (4th), 58% (2nd / 10th)
     Anna Kiel (2x All-Conference)  13.1ppg, 61% FG, 5.7rpg
    *Renee Maneman  (3x All-Conference) 10.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 258 assists (1st /1st)
     *Haley Birks (2x All-Conference) 8.2ppg, 4.3rpg, 36 blocks (4th)    
     *Paige Danner  6.7ppg, 42 3pters, 35% 3pt FG 

De Jong moved into 10th place all-time in career scoring in the win vs Friends; 1,576pts

De Jong has scored in double figures in 28 games played this season

Gustafson became the 32nd player in women's program to score 1,000 points ; reaching the milestone vs Friends

Gustafson has scored in double figures in 26 games this season

Maneman has 17 games with 10+ points and 11 games with 10+ assists