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UPCOMING FOR SHU: The Saints (27-4) will play in the NAIA Tournament for the seventh time in program history. All seven bids have come since 2013 under Sue Syljebeck. SHU is 1-6 all-time in the tournament; its lone win is a 77-59 first-round victory against Tennessee Wesleyan. SHU, a 14-seed, will match up with three-seed Cumberlands (Ky.). Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at Rio Grande.

 

Cumberlands will also host an Opening Round matchup between Bryan and Mobile.  Winners of Friday's games meet Saturday.

The NAIA National Championship Opening Round divides the 64-team field into 16 four-team pods. The surviving 16 will advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa.

WHAC TOURNAMENT: SHU entered the WHAC Tournament as the two-seed and won its first two contests to clinch an automatic bid to the NAIA Tournament before falling to regular-season champ Indiana Tech in the finals.

 

SHU opened with a 61-45 win over Lawrence Tech. Kayla Hinton led the way for the Saints with 17 points, nine rebounds and four steals while Jakarri Alven finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. E'Moni Guice-Finch had 11 points off the bench. E'Anna Won grabbed nine rebounds and Olivia DeLong totaled nine points and two blocks.

 

In a 70-64 semifinal win over Concordia, Hinton scored 22 points and Brooke Rebman put in 12. Won added 11 points and nine rebounds while DeLong contributed 10 points and seven rebounds.

 

The Saints fell in the finals to Indiana Tech, 58-53. E'Anna Won led the Saints with 14 points while Jillian Gelso and Jakarri Alven put in 11 and 10, respectively. Hinton grabbed eight rebounds.

 

HEAD COACH: Sue Syljebeck is in her 20th season as the head coach of the Saints women's basketball program. She is the program's winningest coach with a career record of 386-232. Syljebeck currently ranks 20th on the NAIA Women's basketball active coach wins list. She will be assisted this year by Deb Ray, Sara Chrenko, Niesha Lowe, Mo Rammuny, Dan Brooks and Tee Watters.

 

 

ALL-WHAC HONORS: Kayla Hinton was named to the All-WHAC First Team while Olivia DeLong and E'Anna Won were named to the Second Team, as announced by the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference on Thursday.

DeLong and Won were also honored on the All-Defensive Team. Madison Vice was chosen to the All-Freshman Team.

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2013
Briar Cliff 94, Siena Heights 77

2014
Siena Heights 77, Tennessee Wesleyan 59
Saint Francis (Ind.) 83, Siena Heights 59

2015
Ozarks 88, Siena Heights 69

2017
Morningside 90, Siena Heights 73

2020
Bryan 72, Siena Heights 68

2023
Rio Grande 109, Siena Heights 78

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Points: Sierra Calhoun, 25, vs. Briar Cliff (2013)

 

Field goals: Sierra Calhoun, 9, vs. Briar Cliff (2013); Sha'kyia Parker, 9, vs. Rio Grande (2023)

 

Free throws: Peyton Banks, 12, vs. Rio Grande (2023)

 

3-pointers: Jaaliyah Arrington, 4, vs. Morningside (2017)

 

Rebounds: April Watson, 17, vs. Morningside (2017)

 

Assists: Grace Howrigon, 10, vs. Tennessee Wesleyan (2014)

 

Steals: Morgan Warfield, 4, vs. Ozarks (2015)

 

Blocks: Alexxis Knannlein, 3, vs. Tennessee Wesleyan (2014); Alexxis Knannlein, 3, vs. Saint Francis, Ind. (2014)