Greenville, SC — Our Lady Eagles basketball team will hit the court Friday night in their first game of the NCCAA DII Women's Basketball National Tournament, hosted in Greenville, SC on the campus of Bob Jones University. The team comes into the tournament ranked as the #2 seed after finishing the season ranked as one of the top teams in the NCCAA.

The Lady Eagles, led by NCCAA National Coach of the Year Jared Sellars, look primed to make a deep run in this year's tournament. When asked about his team's chances, Coach Sellars responded, "We need to play our game and execute our game plan in this tournament. If we are able to play hard, smart, and together, we will find success."

The Lady Eagles come into the tournament fresh off their fourth NCCAA South Region title in the past five years. After finishing the regular season with a 17-10 record, Lady Eagles went on to secure two wins in the South Region tournament including a dramatic 75-70 victory over Trinity College (FL.) in the regional championship to raise their season record to 19-10. The Lady Eagles finished conference play with a perfect 8-0 record.

The team comes into the tournament boasting one of the best defenses in the NCCAA. This Lady Eagles team holds their opponents to just 55.5 points per game, which is good for #2 in NCCAA DII Women's Basketball. The team, led by Marlee Moore and Emma Hardy, also leads the country in blocked shots. The Lady Eagles, led by guards Joy Smith and Lauren Battle, rank in the top 10 in steals per game and turnovers forced per game.

Head Coach Jared Sellars was asked before the tournament why his team has been so successful on defense. He responded, "These girls have done a great job of focusing on the details and doing the little things right. Our goal is to make every pass and shot difficult for our opponents."

Despite their strong defense, the Lady Eagles offense is not to be overlooked. The Lady Eagles enter the national tournament averaging 65.9 points per game, which is good for fourth among DII opponents. The Lady Eagles are led in scoring by juniors Joy Smith and Jessica Boyd, who were both named to the NCCAA All-American squads. Despite struggling to score the ball from behind the three-point line early in the season, the team has ended the season strong, averaging 10 three-pointers per game over their final five games. The team shoots an efficient 35.6% from the floor and just over 25% from behind the three-point line.

This Lady Eagles Basketball team comes into the national tournament with experience on their side. The team has competed in five straight national tournaments, but have ultimately been unable to break through against multiple strong opponents over the years. This year's team hopes to break that trend. Head Coach Jared Sellars said, "We haven't played bad in the national tournament over the past few years, but we have been outclassed by multiple very strong opponents. Our focus this tournament is not having any flat moments. We hope that our past experiences help push us to success this week."

The Lady Eagles quest for the programs first national championship will begin on Friday, March 9 against at 4:45 pm CT in the NCCAA National Tournament Semifinals. The winner of that game will advanced to the NCCAA National Championship game against a yet to be determined opponent.

Players to Watch:

Senior Lauren Battle has played a crucial role on this year's Lady Eagles basketball team. As the team's primary point guard, Lauren has provided a calming presence for the team on both sides of the court. When asked about his senior point guard, Head Coach Jared Sellars responded, "Lauren [Battle] needs to have a great tournament. We need her leadership as we prepare for our upcoming games."

Junior Joy Smith has been a leader on this year's team. Entering this week's tournament, Joy is averaging 12.9 points per game while also adding 3.6 rebounds per contest. Joy Smith was recently recognized as an NCCAA DII Women's Basketball 2nd-Team All-American. Head Coach Jared Sellars was asked about what Joy brings to the team. He said, "Joy plays every possession hard. She has been a leader on this year's team and has played a huge part in our success throughout this season."

Junior Jessica Boyd has consistently been one of the top Lady Eagles and NCCAA athletes over her three-year career. This year, Jessica has been one of the team's go-to players. She is currently averaging 12.9 points per game and also provides 7.0 rebounds per game. Jessica was recently recognized as an NCCAA DII Women's Basketball 1st-Team All-American. When asked about his junior forward, Head Coach Jared Sellars responded, "Jess is a solid all-around player. She does the little things right."

Tournament Information:
The NCCAA DII Women's Basketball National Tournament is hosted in Greenville, SC on the campus of Bob Jones University. All tournament games will be livestreamed at bjubruins.com/live. Ticketing information for the tournament can be found at bjubruins.com/tickets. Further details regarding this week's NCCAA National Tournament can be viewed here.