Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Siena Heights Athletics
the official home of the siena heights university saints

#22 Women's Basketball Set to Take on #11 Morningside in Opening Round of NAIA National Tournament

#22 Women's Basketball Set to Take on #11 Morningside in Opening Round of NAIA National Tournament
Posted: Mar 02, 2017

The 22nd-ranked Siena Heights women's basketball team will take on 11th-ranked Morningside (Iowa) in the first round of the 32 team NAIA Division II National Tournament which will take place at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. The Saints will tipoff against the Mustangs on Thursday, March 9, at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST).

SHU qualified for its fourth national tournament in five years, and fourth in program history. The Saints currently hold an all time NAIA DII national tournament record of 2-3. Siena Heights earned one of the two Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference automatic bids, as the WHAC tournament runner-up. Two other WHAC teams to qualify for the national tournament are No. 6 Davenport who scored the other automatic bid that the WHAC had to offer, and No. 16 Indiana Tech who qualified with an at-large bid.

The Saints had three athletes honored as members of the all conference teams with Senior, April Watson being named to All-WHAC First Team, and All-Defensive team. Jaaliyah Arrington was named to the All-WHAC Second Team and a member of the All-Academic Team while Demi Russell was selected as a member of the All-Freshman Team. 

No. 11 Morningside (23-8), an at-large selection to the NAIA pool, will make its 15th consecutive appearance at the NAIA Division II National Tournament, and hold an all time tournament record of 34-11. The Mustangs have won four NAIA DII national titles with their latest being in 2015.

The NAIA Network – the association's official video streaming home – will video-stream the first 28 games live leading up to the semifinals and final on ESPN3. The video platform, powered by Stretch Internet, allows users access to live video, statistics, and social interaction on a number of devices, including mobile. Single day passes can be purchased for $9.95, while an all-tournament package is available at $29.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here. 

For more information on the 2017 NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship, presented by State Farm, click here.

If you are attending the NAIA DII National Tournament, for ticket information, click here.