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EDINBORO CHAMPIONSHIP SITE

BLOOMSBURG—The Bloomsburg University women's basketball team will begin its quest for NCAA Division II national championship on Friday night when it takes on IUP in the opening round of the Atlantic Regional championships at Edinbor University. The Huskies game with the Crimson Hawks will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. and will be the fourth game of the day.
 
In the other games of the regional on Friday Johnson C. Smith takes on Gannon at noon; Shaw faces West Virginia Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m. and Edinboro takes on West Chester at 6 p.m.

The winners on Friday move on to the regional semi-finals on Saturday at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
 
Bloomsburg, 26-5, is the number four seed after making it to the finals of the PSAC tournament before falling to Edinboro. The Huskies are the top three point shooting team in the PSAC, led by Dana Wieller (Bethlehem/Liberty), who has hit 94 shots from beyond the arc this season while shooting just under 40%. Wieller is also the team's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game and the team's leading free throw shooter at 86%. Kelsey Gallagher (East Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg South) and Kayla Oxenrider (Ashland/Tri-Valley) also score in double figures for Bloomsburg with 14.7 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Catherine Noack (Bethlehem/Liberty), who averaged 15.7 points per game during the PSAC tournament, is the team's top three point shooter at 45%.
 
The Huskies will face PSAC rival IUP, 22-6, in the first round. IUP enters the NCAA tournament as a five seed in a PSAC semifinal rematch. The Crimson Hawks were knocked out of the tournament after losing 75-67 to Bloomsburg on March 3. IUP is one of the best defensive teams in the PSAC, holding opponents to just 55.6 points per game on 35.6% shooting. Offensively, only one player averages in double figures for the Crimson Hawks. Sarah Pastorek leads the team in scoring at 14.3 points per game and rebounding at 7.5 per game. Marita Mathe is second on the team at 9.0 points per game and Leslie Stapleton is third at 8.1.
 
Edinboro University comes into the tournament as the number one seed in the Atlantic region. The Fighting Scots finished the season ranked number three in the nation with a 28-1 record. The team leads the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in points scored per game at 75.5 and fewest points allowed per game at 54.4. Four players average in double figures for Edinboro, led by Samantha Blazetic, who averages 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Kiara Brown is the team's bigget outside threat, averaging 14.2 points and hitting 1.9 three pointers per game. Renee' Brown enters the tournament third on the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game and second on the team in rebounding at 6.1 per game. Edinboro won the PSAC tournament last week defeating California University, West Chester, and Bloomsburg.
 
West Chester, the number eight seed, will be Edinboro's opponent. West Chester fell to Edinboro in the PSAC semifinals last week and will be making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2003. The Golden Rams are the top rebounding team in the PSAC, led by Alex Lennon's 7.5 boards per game. Lennon is also the leading scorer for the team this season at 13.9 points per game. The Golden Rams' game plan focuses on the frontcourt combination of Lennon and Allison Hostetter, who averages 13.1 points and 6.7 rebounds while also leading the team in assists at 4.1 per game. Ambreelinne Ortman leads the team in three point shooting at 40% and enters the tournament third on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game.
 
The number two seed in the Atlantic region this year is Shaw University. The Lady Bears went 15-1 in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and won the CIAA tournament. Shaw leads its conference in points scored per game at 74.3, led by Aslea Williams, who averages 15.0 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 8.8 boards per game. Kyria Buford enters the tournament as the team's second leading scorer at 12.7 points per game and leading rebounder at 9.3 per game. Sequoyah Griffin is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game while shooting 80.3% from the foul line.
 
Taking on Shaw in the tournament will be the number seven seeded West Virginia Wesleyan. The Lady Bobcats come into the NCAA tournament fresh off a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship victory over Glenville State. WVW will be competing in the national tournament for the first time in school history. The Lady Bobcats leading scorer is Lydia Bridenbaugh, who is first in scoring in the WVIAC with an average of 22.7 points per game. Bridenbaugh led the team in free throw shooting at 84.2%, helping the team finish first overall in the conference in the category at 77.4%. West Virginia Wesleyan is the only team in its conference to boast two, top-5 scorers. Jamie Kaufman is second on the team and fourth in the conference at 19.1 points per game. Kaufman is also the fourth leading rebounder in the WVIAC, hauling in 8.9 boards per game. Daria Abros'kina leads the team in assists per game and is third overall in the conference at 4.7 per game.
 
Johnson C. Smith University earned a three seed in the tournament after advancing to the CIAA championship game, where it lost to Shaw University. The Golden Bulls earned a reputation for taking care of the basketball this season, averaging a conference-low 17.8 turnovers per game. Laqweesha Gamble leads the team by averaging in double figures in scoring and rebounding. Gamble is second on the team at 14.5 points per game and leads the team in boards per game with 11.4. Shavonda Price is the team's leading scorer at 14.9 points per game and shoots a team high 40% from beyond the arc. The team's third leading scorer is Terran Quattlebaum, who average 11.6 points per game while hitting 1.9 threes per game.
 
JCSU will face the number six seeded Gannon University in the first round of the tournament. Gannon is second in the PSAC in three point shooting, led by Caitlyn Lowe, who hit 79 threes this season. Lowe averages 12.1 points per game and is second on the team in scoring to Jennifer Papich, who scores 14.6 per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 block per game. Nettie Blake rounds out the team's top three scorers at 10.1 points per game and is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 6.7 boards per game. Kelley Sundberg runs point for the Golden Knights and led the PSAC with 5.5 assists per game. Gannon lost to IUP in the first round of the PSAC tournament.