Highland Heights, Ky. -- The lone remaining Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) team in the NCAA Division II Midwest Region tournament advanced to the championship game when Michigan Technological University defeated host Northern Kentucky University, 76-53, on Saturday evening.

The Huskies will face the University of Indianapolis in the tournament's championship game on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. The seventh-seeded Greyhounds pulled off their second-straight upset, downing third-seeded Quincy University (Ill.), 74-64, in the first semifinal game of the night.

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Semifinal #1
#7 Indianapolis 74, #3 Quincy 64
(box score)

Release courtesy of Mitch Wigness, University of Indianapolis Sports Information Director

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.- A 15-0 run in the second half was the springboard to a 74-64 win for the Greyhound women's basketball team over ninth-ranked Quincy in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at the Bank of Kentucky Center Saturday night. The Hounds registered their second straight win over a top ten opponent to advance to Monday's Midwest Regional Final for the first time in school history.

The final score was not indicative of the battle between the two Great Lakes Valley Conference rivals. The lead changed hands six times in the second half and there were 10 ties overall in a physical struggle with each possession.

Both teams' offenses were in high gear right off the tip. Both squads combined to hit on a combined 11-of-14 shots as the Lady Hawks (27-5) held a 16-13 edge at the first media timeout. The defenses began to take hold as the game's intensity ratcheted up a notch. QU standout and GLVC Player of the Year Jessica Keller hit the floor hard after a drive while Samantha Meissel (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North) and Caroline Schutzman (Carmel, Ind./Bishop Chatard) each took punishing blows in a hard-fought opening half.

Jessica Canary (Coatesville, Ind./South Putnam), fresh off her game-winning performance a night prior, stayed hot, hitting four of her first five shots for 15 points before halftime on the way to a new career-best 33 points. Three of those first-half points came on an off-balance triple with the shot clock winding down putting UIndy up four at 31-27.

The Greyhounds (24-9) led 36-33 at the half, shooting 52.2 percent from the floor to Quincy's 37.9 effort. More importantly, UIndy held Keller to just 2-of-9 shooting in the first frame.

Keller would get the Hawks started early in the second half, getting to the line several times en route to eight quick points. She finished the night with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but she could not pull Quincy out of a scoring drought that spanned over six minutes and allowed UIndy to erase a four-point deficit and turn it into a lead that reached as many as 13.

During the run, Canary hit her fourth long ball of the game to help the Hounds regain the lead for good at 58-57 with just under seven minutes to play. She connected again on the next trip down and the Hounds began to pile onto its lead.

Canary made 10-of-13 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three-point range in the win. Meissel added 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds while Cayla Keegan (Castalia, Ohio/Margaretta) chipped-in 11 points, six boards and three steals.

The Greyhounds now advance to the NCAA Midwest Regional Final as one of 16 D-II teams still alive. Monday's regional championship will feature UIndy and the winner of Saturday night's other semifinal matchup with host Northern Kentucky and fifth-seeded Michigan Tech. Monday's regional final is set for 7:00 p.m. Eastern at the Bank of Kentucky Center.

Semifinal #2
#4 Michigan Tech 76, #1 Northern Kentucky 53
(box score)

Release courtesy of Wes Frahm, Michigan Technological University Sports Information Director

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — Michigan Tech pulled the upset! The No. 22-ranked women’s basketball played an excellent game on both ends of the floor to take down No. 1-ranked Northern Kentucky 76-53 at NKU’s Bank of Kentucky Center tonight and earn a spot in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship.

Tech (26-6) received 20 points from Katie Zimmerman and a career-high 19 more from Lisa Staehlin to dethrone the defending national champions and advance to the NCAA’s Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.

“I am so proud of our team,” said head coach John Barnes. “We got the early lead and continued to build it throughout the game. Once again, everybody contributed to the win.

“Reaching the Sweet 16 was one of our goals, now we’ll go after the Elite 8.”

Zimmerman drained four 3-pointers in the first seven minutes for all 12 points of a 12-5 advantage. The hosts battled back on top at 17-16 with 9:10 to go, but Lucy Dernovsek answered immediately with a pair of free throws. The Huskies never trailed again.

It was still a two-point margin before No. 4-seeded Tech closed out the half on a 5-0 run with five straight swishes at the foul line. The score was 34-27 at the break.

Perhaps the most critical junction in the game — the first few minutes of the second half — were all Tech’s as it expanded its lead to 11 in the first two minutes. Back-to-back layups from Katie Wysocky and Staehlin grew the lead to a dozen with 13:33 to play.

Tech’s defense, which was the catalyst in its quarterfinal win over Northwood, held strong again. NKU didn’t reach the 40 point mark until the 5:57 mark. The Huskies had built a 17-point lead by that point.

The Norse started fouling with 4:22 to play, and the nation’s third-best free throw shooting team made them pay. Tech connected on 17-of-19 foul shots in the waning minutes to end the game at 32-of-36 — two shy of the school record for makes.

Tech shot 44 percent from the field including 6-of-18 (33 percent) from 3-point range. NKU was held to 34 percent from the floor including 2-of-19 (10.5 percent) from behind the arc. The Huskies also posted a 38-31 rebounding edge.

Zimmerman (20), Staehlin (19) and Wysocky (17) accounted for 56 of the team’s 73 points — enough to outscore the Norse by themselves. Staehlin’s total came on 8-of-9 field goal shooting. Wysocky added a game-high nine rebounds.

NKU’s Jessie Slack, who entered the game with a 17-point scoring average, was held to 10 on 5-of-18 shooting. Tara Ferris and Alicia Schneider got the better of the defensive matchup on her most of the night.

Michigan Tech will now try to earn a trip to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Elite 8 in San Antonio, Texas. The Huskies will have to get through No. 7-seeded Indianapolis in the regional title game. The Greyhounds (24-9) are a surprise addition the championship contest after they upset No. 3 seeded Quincy 74-64 in the day’s first semifinal.

The 2009 NCAA Women’s Basketball Midwest Regional Championship game is set for 7 p.m. Monday (March 16) at NKU’s Bank of Kentucky Center.