Basketball | 3/27/2024 8:46:00 AM

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (March 27, 2024) – It's Final Four time in St. Joseph, Mo. for the Texas Woman's basketball team.

Two Seed and currently ranked No. 7 in the nation TWU (33-4) will play in their first Final Four game in program history on Wednesday, March 27 at 6 p.m. against the three seed and No. 14 nationally ranked Ferris State (26-5).

In the Elite Eight, the Pioneers defeated the seven seed Daemen, 76-44. Ferris State met the six seed Tampa in the Elite Eight on Monday, March 25, and they defeated the Spartans, 60-53.

This will mark the first meeting in program history between the Pioneers and the Bulldogs, and the first appearance in the Final Four for both teams.

The two teams have had only one common opponent this season – Daemen. While the Pioneers faced Daemen recently and won, the Bulldogs faced Daemen on Jan. 3 in New York and fell to the Wildcats on the road, 61-56.

TWU comes into the contest having won the Lone Star Conference Regular Season Title, the LSC Tournament Title and the South Central Regional Title.
On the other side, Ferris State fell in the semifinal of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Then, they received an at-large bid to the Midwest Regional Tournament. As they No. 3 seed, the Bulldogs defeated Lewis in the quarterfinals, the 2023 National Champions Ashland in the semifinals, and finally, they beat Grand Valley State, the No. 1 seed, to advance to the Elite Eight.

The two teams will face off at 6 p.m. in the St. Joseph Civic Arena for the opportunity to advance to the 2024 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship game.

FINAL FOUR

• And then there were four. The Pioneers will meet Ferris State tomorrow. If you are making the trip to St. Joseph, tickets can be purchased in advance here.
• If you cannot make it to St. Joseph, join a local Watch Party in Denton on TWU's campus in Bridges Auditorium or in the Dining Hall.
• The game will be live-streamed on CBS Sports Network. For live stats and other information regarding the game, visit ncaa.com.  

HISTORY AWAITS

• CRASH THE GLASS: The Pioneers are committed to being strong on the glass. They average 36.8 rebounds per game. The Bulldogs average 37.5 per game. In the win on Monday, the Pioneers grabbed 43 rebounds, while Ferris State grabbed 39 boards. A key focus for the Bulldogs is offensive rebounds with the chance to get second chance points. In their win over Tampa, they grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, which is their average on the season. The Pioneers also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds in their win for 12 second chance points. Look for rebounds to be key in the game on Wednesday.
• GUARD THE THREE: Ferris State attempts 23.5 three pointers per game, which ranks 27th in the nation. On average, they make 7.6 per game. In their five losses on the season, they have shot under their average in four of those five games. The Pioneers will look to defend the three point line well to secure the win on Wednesday.
• SHARE THE BALL: In their win over Daemen, the Pioneers recorded 18 assists. On the season, TWU averages 15.6 assists per game, which ranks 25th in the nation. Ferris State averages 16.9 assists per game, which ranks ninth in the nation. On Monday over Tampa, the Bulldogs finished the game with 15 assists. When TWU dishes assists, they find the best high percentage shot, as the Pioneers are averaging 45.66 percent from the field, which ranks 11th in the nation. On the other side, the Bulldogs are averaging 43.8 percent from the field, which ranks 28th in the nation.
• THEY'RE FREE: The Pioneers currently rank third in the nation in free throws made per game, averaging 16.97. On Monday, TWU shot 16 free throws and made all 16. On average, Ferris State makes 10.7 free throws per game and attempts 14.4. TWU will look to get to the charity stripe in Wednesday's game.