Basketball | 3/24/2024 9:01:00 PM

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (March 24, 2024) – The dream dance continues for the Texas Woman's basketball team. Their next stop is the Elite Eight on Monday, March 25.

TWU (32-4), who claimed the South Central Regional Title and the No. 2 Seed in the Elite Eight, will meet the No. 7 Seed Daemen (23-7), the East Region Champions, on Monday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m. at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.

After a year of firsts, the Pioneers look to continue their historical run with a win over Daemen and trip to the Final Four on Wednesday.

On the other side, the Wildcats from New York are making their second straight Elite Eight Appearance in the past four years, after they advanced in 2021. During the 2021 season, Daemen fell to the No. 1 seed Lubbock Christian in the Elite Eight.

While it is new territory for the Pioneers, Coach Jillson reiterated in her pre-championship press conference that the Pioneers have laid the foundation the entire season to be resilient, selfless and trust each other – to have gratitude for the moment – to claim the win.

TWU and Daemen are scheduled to tip off at 2:30 p.m. CST at the St. Jospeh Civic Arena. The winner will advance to the Final Four on Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. against the winner of No. 3 Seed Ferris State and No. 6 seed Tampa.

FEELING ELITE

• If you're traveling to St. Joseph, tickets can be purchased here. Tickets are $20 for adult general admission per session or $43 for all seven games of the tournament.  
• If you cannot make it to St. Joseph but will be in Denton, make sure to attend the TWU Watch Party in Bridges Auditorium in Hubbard Hall. The first 150 fans will receive a free t-shirt. There will also be free popcorn at the event.
• If you want to live stream the game, visit ncaa.com. The game will cost $9.95 to view.
• Make sure to also follow along with live stats at ncaa.com.

MADE FOR MARCH

• THE REGIONAL PATH: On their way to the Elite Eight, the Daemen Wildcats started the 2024 NCAA Division II Tournament as the sixth seed in the East Region. They traveled to Bentley, where they faced the three seed Saint Rose in the Regional Quarterfinal, winning the tournament opener 52-47. Then, in the semifinal round, the Wildcats defeated nationally ranked and the East No. 2 seed Assumption and won by 10 points, 68-58. Finally, Daemen claimed their second East Regional Title with their 69-62 win over four seed and nationally ranked Jefferson to advance to the Elite Eight. The Pioneers, with the No. 1 seed in the South Central Regional Tournament, began the regional with the comeback win over Colorado School of Mines in the quarterfinal, 81-72. In the semifinal, the Pioneers topped five seed Adams State, 74-63. Then, for the second time this season, TWU defeated UT Tyler, 65-51, to claim the program's first South Central Regional Title.
• HIGH SCORING AND HIGH EFFICIENCY: Ashley Ingram, the reigning Lone Star Conference Player of the Year, D2CCA South Central Region Most Valuable Player, South Central Regional Tournament MVP and WBCA First Team All-American, currently ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage, averaging 60.6% per game. Ingram leads the Pioneers in points per game with 18.4 points per game. She has broken the TWU record for most points in a season and most rebounds in a season. Currently, she is 14 points award from eclipsing 1,500 points on her career, and she will become just the fourth Pioneer in program history to reach this milestone. She also ranks fifth in the nation in double doubles on the season with 18. For the Wildcats, they are led by senior Alahna Paige, who averages 21.8 points per game, which ranks second in the nation. She shoots 40.3% from the field and 39.5% from the three point line. She also leads the team in assists on the season with 93. Paige was named the D2CCA East Region MVP, East Coast Conference Player of the Year and East Region MVP. While she is a guard and Ingram is post, look for both of these players to be influential in Monday's match-up.
• STATS LOOK: The Pioneers average 72.5 points per game, while Daemen averages 64.5 points per game. On average, TWU holds their opponents to 60.9 points per game, while Daemen holds their opponents to 58 points per game on average. The Pioneers shoot 45.78% from the field, which ranks 11th in the nation. The Wildcats average 40.7% from the field per game. The Pioneers shoot 17 free throws per game, while Daemen holds their opponents to shooting just 9.8 free throws per game. Getting to the free throw line and shooting efficiently will be key for the Pioneers in Monday's game.