Women Basketball Invt. Quarterfinals
3/16/2012 9:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The WBI marks the first NCAA Division I post-season competition for the Bearkat women's basketball team and represents the culmination of a rebuilding effort by SHSU head coach Brenda Nicholls that has resulted in 35 victories the past two seasons, the most wins in a two-year period the program's 25 years at the NCAA level.
The WBI, operated by Sports Tours International, is a 16-team event that takes place over two weeks with all games played on campus sites. The winner of the SHSU-Northern Iowa matchup will face the winner of the Seattle versus Wright State game in the WBI semifinals. The semifinals will be held either Wednesday or Thursday, March 21 or 22.
Northwestern Iowa earned a spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Stephen F. Austin 83-67 in Nacogdoches Thursday night. The Panthers, who own a 17-14 record this season, are making their third consecutive postseason tournament appearance after representing the Missouri Valley Conference in the NCAA women's basketball championships the past two seasons.
Sam Houston defeated Rice 73-55 Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum. The Bearkats are 18-11 for the season and 12-1 on their home court.
UNI is led by three seniors, Katelin Oney, Rachel Madrigal and K. K. Armstrong who have combined to lead the Panthers to 61 victories over the past three seasons. Each of the three average in double figures with Oney scoring 13.8 points per game, Armstrong 13.1 and Madrigal 11.8.
Junior forwards Britni Martin and Sequeena Thomas, both All-Southland Conference selections the past two years, lead the Bearkats. Martin averaged 17.2 points per game while Thomas is adding 14.4 points.
Thomas is the No. 2 rebounder in NCAA women's basketball this year with 12.5 boards per game. She has produced both double figure scoring and rebounding totals in 19 contests.
