Box Score FRANKFORT, Ky. - After earning their first No. 1 seed since 2006, the Freed-Hardeman University Lady Lions open play in the NAIA Women's Division I National Tournament today against Avila (Mo.) University at 4:00 PM EDT.Freed-Hardeman (28-5) remained at No. 3 in the final coaches poll
and received the top seed in the third quadrant in the tournament's
first year in Frankfort, Ky.
The Lady Lions' opponent, Avila,
enters the tournament with a record of 21-9 and represents the Heart of
America Athletic Conference. The Eagles received one of the
conference's two automatic bids to the tournament, qualifying for the
second straight year.
Avila has four players averaging in double
figures led by senior guard Brittany Townsend's 11.9 points per game.
Victoria Murillo and Courtney Gimlin average 11.6 and 11.4 points per
game respectively and Rebekah Capedar scores 10.9 points per game.
Townsend
(78 3-pointers made) and Gimlin (62 3-pointers made) are both threats
from long range. Murillo leads the NAIA in steals with 4.0 per game.
Avila
is 1-5 against teams that qualified for the national tournament with
the lone win coming over Vanguard (Calif.) University. The winner of
the FHU-Avila game could see Vanguard in the second round (
view bracket |
schedule and results).
FHU is 6-3 against tournament teams, with two of those losses coming against No. 2 Union (Tenn.) University on the road.
Last year, Avila lost in the opening round of the tournament to Union, 62-37.
Freed-Hardeman
is making its 16th consecutive appearance in the national tournament,
where the Lady Lions are 21-15 all-time with three Fab Four appearances
including one last season.
Juniors
Natalie Shumpert and
Maria Bagwell were both key components of FHU's run to the Fab Four last year. Shumpert was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 16.3 points per game. Bagwell won the Hustle Award for her aggressive play on defense and on the boards (9.0 rebounds per game).
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