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ALVA, Okla. – For the first time since becoming eligible for postseason play as an NCAA program, the Northwestern Oklahoma State University women's basketball team will take rival Southwestern Oklahoma State in the Great American Conference Championship Tournament.
The longtime foes will face off in the tournament quarterfinals Thursday afternoon at 5:45 p.m. inside Bruin Fieldhouse in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. A watch party will be held in Perceufull Fieldhouse, hosted by the Northwestern Student Government Association.
Northwestern (12-17, 9-13) enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed after clinching a birth in the event in the event at home on Senior Day inside Percefull Fieldhouse. Southwestern (27-1, 22-0) is ranked No. 8 nationally in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top 25, No. 5 in the DIISIDA Media Poll and holds the No. 1 spot in the Central Region rankings.
The Lady Rangers look to continue an historic season and upset the Lady Bulldogs in the opening round of the tournament. The currently Lady Ranger squad tied last season's team for the most overall wins in the Div. II era of the program, while also tying the 2014-15 team for the most GAC wins.
In 2014-15, Northwestern finished sixth in the conference standings, was not eligible for the conference tournament due to NCAA transition process. The last Northwestern postseason victory came under head coach Joe Feely in 1999-2000 when they Lady Rangers were runner-ups in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament.
In the final weekend of the regular season, redshirt junior guard Kalea King made another step forward in the program record books as she moved into the eight spot all time in career scoring with 1,106, passing Mickey Henderson (1977-79).
Both King and Bailey Brown round out the top ten in conference scoring at 14.3 and 14.8 points a game, respectively, while Southwestern standouts Hailey Tucker is third at 19 points a game and Hayden Priddy is fourth with 17.1 a contest.
While Lady Bulldog post player Bethany Franks leads the league after the regular season with 8.6 rebounds a game, Brown has won the rebounding battle in the two previous meetings. Brown, who averages eight rebounds a contest, pulled down 16 boards in the first meeting and nine in the showdown at SWOSU.
Northwestern outrebounded Southwestern in both regular season matchups this year.
Southwestern has controlled the series between the two schools as of late with five straight wins over the Lady Rangers. The last win against the Lady Bulldogs came Jan. 16, 2017, in Alva.
Thursday will mark just the second time Northwestern and Southwestern have faced each other away from one of the two campus. The last time they played on a neutral floor came on Feb. 11, 1978, when the Lady Rangers knocked off the Lady Bulldogs in the Central State Tournament Championship in Edmond, Oklahoma.
The winner of Thursday's game will move on to the semifinals to take on the winner between Harding (4) and Henderson State (5). That game will be played Friday at noon.
For the latest news and updates on NWOSU Women's Basketball, follow @NWOSUAthletics on TWITTER or visit www.riderangersride.com.
