DENTON, Texas (March 17, 2024) – What a sweet, sweet feeling.
 
TWU (31-4) defeated Adams State (25-9) in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Semifinal, 74-63, to advance to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
 
Behind a strong 28 points in the first quarter, the Pioneers rode the dominant start to the 11-point victory over the Grizzlies.
 
Three Pioneers finished in double digits on Saturday night. Ashley Ingram led TWU with 17 points and 10 rebounds to record her 18th double-double of the season. Leila Patel knocked down 16 points, and Gionna Carr scored 10 big points to help lead TWU to the win.
 
Every Pioneer who touched the court scored, as TWU's bench contributed 20 points in the victory.
 
Saturday night marked a total team effort, as TWU locked down on defense and played efficiently on offense.
 
TWU dominated the battle in the paint with size and also with clean court movement to outscore the Grizzlies in the paint 42-26. On their way to shooting 47.5% from the field, the Pioneers dished out 18 assists in the win. Three Pioneers finished with four assists to lead the charge – Ingram, Patel and Averee Kleinhans. Patel matched her career high with the four assists.
 
On the defensive end, the Pioneers held the Grizzlies to just 63 points, which is well below their season average of 75.2 points per game. TWU also held Adams State below their season average percentages from the field and from the three. The Grizzlies shot just 40% from the field and 26.1% from the three point line.
 
Rebounding was a key point of focus for TWU in the contest, as the Pioneers out-rebounded the Grizzlies 38-30. Of the 38 rebounds, TWU grabbed 11 offensive boards for 10 second chance points. On the other side, the Pioneers allowed Adams State to grab just seven offensive boards for only three second chance points.
 
Throughout the 40 minutes of action, the Pioneers executed the game plan smoothly, as they dictated pace of play to lead them to success. Setting the tone strong for TWU was the Pioneers' starting point guard Jada Celsur. She finished with nine points on the night, but her leadership, cool head and strength in dictating the offense does not show up on the stat sheet and led the Pioneers to success.
 
Ashley dominated the paint for the Pioneers in the game and did a great job of finding the open player. Carr, Caroline Glud Rasmussen and Scout Huffman put on a court running clinic in the game, always finding the right spot at the right time to make a priceless impact on the court.

In the first quarter, the Pioneers shot 56.25% from the field to outscore the Grizzlies 28-18. While Adams State got the scoring started quickly in the game with two threes, TWU confidently settled into the game.
 
Glud Rasmussen gave TWU their first lead of the game at the six minute mark of the first quarter with a made triple, putting TWU ahead by two, 9-7. Glud Rasmussen's three ignited the TWU turnaround. Then, with 2:23 on the clock, a three by Patel off the assist by Ingram put the Pioneers' ahead by nine points.
 
TWU found their largest lead of the first quarter at the one minute mark, 26-15. Celsur dished out an assist to Carr for the jumper to give the Pioneers the 11-point lead.
 
Patel closed the first quarter with two made free throws to take the Pioneers into the second quarter with the double digit lead, 28-18.
 
After a strong first quarter, the Pioneers kept their foot on the gas and opened up to a 17-point lead – their largest lead of the first half – after an exciting and-one play by Ingram to ignite the crowd and extend the Pioneers' lead, 41-24.
 
With the crowd rocking KMA, TWU continued to lock down on defense and rotate the ball well on offense. The Pioneers went into the halftime break with a 15-point lead, 47-32.
 
The Pioneers would maintain their double-digit lead throughout the remaining two quarters of action. They would never lead by less than 11-points and their largest lead of the night would be 18.
 
To open the third quarter, Scout Huffman hit a jumper to push TWU back ahead by 17, 49-32. Then, Ariyanna Hines would once again push the Pioneers back up by 17, 61-44, with two minutes left in the third quarter off a made free throw. In the third quarter alone, the Pioneers shot 41.67% from the field and 100% from the free throw line.
 
TWU opened the fourth quarter with a 15-point lead. The Pioneers would quickly find their largest lead of the night at 18 at the 7:51 mark of the fourth quarter, after a made free throw by Glud Rasmussen. TWU shot 50% from the field over the final 10 minutes, and they held the Grizzlies to just 37.5% from the field over the last quarter.
 
Kleinhans would put the final bow on the semifinal success for the Pioneers with a made free throw, as TWU advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history with the 11-point win, 74-63.
 
Hear Head Coach Beth Jillson's, Caroline Glud Rasmussen's and Ashley Ingram's thoughts after the game here.