CMU VS. BIOLA PHOTO GALLERY
BILLINGS, Mont. – The No. 5-seed Central Methodist University women's basketball team used a stifling defense and a 12-0 run in the first six minutes of the third quarter to vault the Eagles to the second round of the 2017 NAIA DI Women's Basketball National Championship, presented by Wells Fargo. CMU recorded a 52-49 victory over No. 4-seed Biola University in the Cramer Bracket first round contest in Rimrock Auto Arena, located in MetraPark.

CMU (24-9) will advance to take on No. 1-seed Lindsey Wilson College (31-2) in the second round on Friday at 10 a.m. (CST). The game will be broadcast on the Stretch Internet NAIA Network. The cost to watch the game is $9.95 and it can be viewed by clicking the link below. Live stats are also available. Central Methodist University is showing the contest for free in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church on its campus. Doors will open at 9:45 a.m. No food will be served, but anyone is welcome to bring their own food and drinks to the viewing.

FRIDAY'S CMU-LINDSEY WILSON GAME INFO
How to Watch CMU-Lindsey Wilson (PPV-$9.95) – CLICK HERE
FREE Live Stats of the Game – CLICK HERE
Complete Tournament Bracket – CLICK HERE
Tournament Schedule and Results – CLICK HERE
How to Purchase Tickets – CLICK HERE
Billings, Lodging, Food, etc. – CLICK HERE
Central Methodist Season Statistics – CLICK HERE
Lindsey Wilson Season Statistics – CLICK HERE
Central Methodist Athletics Website – CLICK HERE
Lindsey Wilson Athletics Website – CLICK HERE

Biola, which ended the season with a 23-8 mark, came in as one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation, but CMU held BU to 18.8% (3-of-16) shooting from long range in the first half and 16.7% (5-of-30) for the game. Meanwhile, Central Methodist built leads of 10 points twice in the first half before settling for a 31-28 intermission advantage. Then CMU went on a tear to start the third quarter and then held off a late Biola rally to record it's first-ever victory (1-2) at the national tournament.

"I thought we really had a great start to the ballgame and played some good defensive basketball," said CMU head coach Mike Davis. "They were able to make a couple of runs at us, one of them coming in the second quarter. But we got the lead in the third quarter and really were playing well."

After opening up a lead as large as 15 points in the third quarter, things got close in the fourth when CMU saw its lead slowly diminished. Biola wouldn't go away and tied the game at 47-47 with 3:22 left.

Biola would take its only lead, 49-47, with 2:08 left on the clock. After Jerica Nelson (SO/Kodiak, Alaska) converted 1-of-2 free throws to pull CMU within one with 1:56 remaining, Biola had a chance to put the game away.

With 22 seconds to play and CMU down by a point, the Davis put the ball in the hands of his playmaker, DaJonee Hale (JR/Anchorage, Alaska), coming out of the timeout. Hale managed to drive past her defender and get in the paint making the contested layup, giving CMU the lead, 50-49, with 18 ticks on the clock.

Central Methodist had to play tough defense and double-teamed down on the block. That created in a turnover and Hall grabbed the loose ball, was fouled, and put the game away with a pair of free throws with one second left.

"I thought our kids fought really hard. To get behind at the very end and come back and, of course, DaJonee Hale made the big basket to put us ahead. Then we guarded the basket the way we wanted and got the victory."

Davis said his team improvised a little on the winning basket and got the job done.

"We ran a set where the ball was going to come in to Lexie Moe (SO/St. Peters, Mo.) and she would hand off to NeNe (Hale). But they defended that, but NeNe has a lot of ability and she made the tough basket and then we secured the win on defense."

The Eagles started off the game on a 7-0 run, outscoring Biola 16-6 in the first quarter. CMU would lead by as much as 12 points throughout the first half.

In the win, CMU had a balanced effort, led by Jenka Stiasna (SR/Zvolen, Slovakia) with a career high 12 rebounds to go with six points. Hale led all scorers with 13 points and six rebounds and Nelson dished out seven assists and picked up six steals. Paige Albrecht (SR/Yakima, Wash.) scored nine points and hauled in five boards, Sophie Thompson (FR/Troy, Ill.) dropped in nine points and tallied five rebounds and Moe scored six and ripped down eight rebounds.

Central Methodist had to overcome 23 turnovers, but did so by not only shutting down the Biola offense, but also forcing 18 turnovers, outrebounding BU 44-41, and held Biola to six first-quarter points and eight in the third. CMU held BU to only 27.9% (19-of-68) shooting from the field for the entire game.

DaJonee Hale led all scorers with 13 points and six rebounds, while Albrecht added nine points and five boards. Jerica Nelson dished out a game-high seven assists and recorded six steals.

2017 NAIA DIVISION I WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
March 15-21
Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark, Billings, Mont.
CRAMER BRACKET
First Round
Wednesday, March 15
#1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 63, #8 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) 52
#5 Central Methodist (Mo.) 52, #4 Biola (Calif.) 49
#2 Oklahoma City 73, #7 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) 63
#3 Columbia (Mo.) (26-6) vs. #6 Montana Western (23-8), 5:45 p.m.

Second Round
Friday, March 17
#1 Lindsey Wilson (31-2) vs. #5 Central Methodist (24-9), 10 a.m. CST
Columbia/Montana Western winner vs. #2 Oklahoma City (30-2), 11:45 a.m. CST

Quarterfinals
Saturday, March 18
Cramer Bracket Championship Game, 3 p.m. CST

CMU Women's Basketball Contacts: John Kruger / Uyen Tran
Phone: 936-332-9332 | jkrueger@centralmethodist.edu
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CMU Women's Basketball: Twitter
Website: www.CMUEagles.com