The Randall University Lady Saints are headed to the Final Four of the NCCAA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship after a strong quarterfinal performance Thursday afternoon.
As the tournament's No. 5 seed, the Lady Saints defeated No. 4 Welch College 71–66 at Crown College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, advancing to the national semifinals where they will face No. 1 seed Champion Christian College at 6:00 PM on Friday, March 13.
The win was especially meaningful for the Lady Saints, as Welch had defeated Randall earlier in the regular season. On Thursday, however, Randall flipped the script with a balanced offensive attack and strong defensive effort to secure a spot among the nation's final four teams.
Randall opened the game slowly, trailing 16–11 after the first quarter, but the Lady Saints responded with a dominant second quarter, outscoring Welch 25–15 to take control of the game. Randall continued to build momentum in the third quarter and pushed its lead to as many as 13 points before holding off a late Welch push in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Several Lady Saints stepped up in the quarterfinal win.
Freshman Tristyn Kirkes led the way offensively with 24 points, knocking down five three-pointers and adding seven rebounds. Fellow freshman standout Alex Collins delivered another big performance with 21 points and nine rebounds, continuing her impressive postseason run. Collins was recently recognized for her outstanding season by earning Second Team All-American honors, an impressive accomplishment for the freshman guard.
Nailiyah McLaurin added 13 points and seven rebounds, while Chrissa Gomez contributed 11 points and three steals. Tahnaya Kennedy controlled the glass with eight rebounds, helping Randall win key possessions throughout the game.
In addition to their success on the court, the Lady Saints were also recognized for their excellence in the classroom during the national tournament. Tara Shaw, Kiana Peveler, and Chrissa Gomez were all named NCCAA Scholar-Athletes, an honor recognizing student-athletes for their outstanding performance academically as well as athletically.
With the victory, Randall advances to the national semifinals where they will face a familiar opponent. Champion Christian, the tournament's top seed and an in-region rival, awaits the Lady Saints in a highly anticipated matchup Friday evening.
How to Watch the Lady Saints:
Fans can follow Randall's semifinal matchup through several viewing and coverage options.
Live Stream:
All tournament games are streamed on the NCCAA Network at nccaanetwork.com. The network is available on desktop and mobile devices as well as TV apps including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
Streaming options include:
$6.95 single game pass
$19.95 tournament pass
$99.95 all-sports access pass
Live Stats:
Fans can follow live statistics and in-game updates through the NCCAA Championship page.
Social Media Updates:
Twitter/X: @TheNCCAA and @NCCAAChamps
Instagram: @TheNCCAA
Randall now turns its focus to Friday's semifinal matchup with Champion Christian College. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 PM (CT) at Crown College in Minneapolis, with a trip to the NCCAA National Championship game on the line.
