No. 7 LSUS Set to Face No. 10 Benedictine in NAIA Women’s Basketball First Round
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The LSU Shreveport women's basketball team will begin its run in the 2026 NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship First and Second Rounds on Friday night as the No. 7 seeded Pilots face No. 10 seed Benedictine College in the Campbellsville Bracket hosted by Campbellsville University.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Friday, March 13. The winner will advance to the bracket championship game on Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. ET to face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 seed and host Campbellsville University and No. 15 seed Bryan College. The bracket champion will advance to the 45th Annual NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, March 19–24 at the Tyson Events Center.
LSU Shreveport enters the national tournament with a 27-4 overall record and a 20-2 mark in Red River Athletic Conference play after capturing both the RRAC Regular Season Championship and the RRAC Women's Basketball Tournament Championship. The Pilots secured the tournament title in their most recent outing, defeating Texas A&M-San Antonio, 64-59.
LSUS has been balanced throughout the season, averaging 72.3 points per game while adding 39.3 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 15.3 steals, and 4.1 blocks per contest across 31 games.
Selma Markisic leads LSUS offensively with 17.8 points per game and was recognized as the RRAC Player of the Year for her performance this season. Amandine L'Etang anchors the interior with 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest.
Toni Coleman directs the Pilots' offense and defense from the guard position, averaging 3.8 assists and an impressive 4.5 steals per game. Coleman was honored as the RRAC Defensive Player of the Year, highlighting her impact on the defensive end and her role in leading LSUS' aggressive defensive pressure.
Benedictine College enters the matchup with a 24-7 overall record and an 18-2 mark in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Ravens advanced to the Heart Tournament Championship before falling to MidAmerica Nazarene, 65-55.
Benedictine averages 72 points per game while posting strong rebounding numbers at 40.7 rebounds per contest along with 17.6 assists, 10 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game across 31 contests.
Riley Bruggeman leads the Ravens with 17.5 points per game while also contributing 4.3 assists and three steals per contest. Nicole Storck leads the team on the glass with 7.8 rebounds per game, while Oen Deters also averages 4.3 assists per game.
Friday's matchup will feature two teams with nearly identical scoring averages, as both squads average just over 72 points per game. LSUS will look to capitalize on its defensive pressure, averaging over 15 steals per game led by Coleman, while also holding an advantage in rim protection behind L'Etang's presence in the paint.
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