March 17, 2007

JACKSON, Tenn. - The semifinal matchups of the 27th Annual NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Championship have been set following Saturday's quarterfinal action at Oman Arena.

Vanguard will meet Cumberland in Monday's first semifinal beginning at 6 p.m., while Union will square off with Lambuth with an 8 p.m. tipoff.

Vanguard University (Calif.), which never trailed while posting an 82-56 victory over second-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) to kick off the quarterfinals, extended its unbeaten season into the semifinals. Jessica Richter poured in a tournament single-game high 32 points and made seven-of-12 three-pointers to lead Vanguard into the semifinals for the third time in program history. Trevecca Nazarene was led by Abby Lawson, who scored 17 points off the bench, including a perfect seven-of-seven from the free-throw line.

Third-seeded Cumberland University (Tenn.) held off a late rally from Langston University (Okla.) to post a 72-71 victory in the second game of the day. Cumberland held a seven-point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the game, but Langston twice cut it to a single point. Ashley Cross finished with 10 points, two of them on her only free throws of the night that provided the final cushion. Matalya McBath-Belvin posted her second straight double-double, posting game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds.

First-seeded Union University (Tenn.) led by double digits for the final 27 minutes in an 83-58 victory over Houston Baptist University (Texas), clinching a third straight semifinal berth. LaTorya Fuller's three-pointer with 11:04 remaining in the first half sparked an 18-2 run that turned a 14-12 deficit into Union's first double-digit lead, a 30-16 advantage with 5:25 remaining in the first half. Josephine Owino provided a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench for Union, while Velencia Kuykendall tallied a double-double consisting of game-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds, including nine boards on the offensive glass.

Fifth-seeded Lambuth University (Tenn.) joined a pair of other Tennessee schools in the semifinals after a 77-70 quarterfinal win over Southern Nazarene University (Okla.). Lambuth trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, the last at 32-23 with 6:08 to play in the half before closing the period with a 17-9 run to narrow the gap to 41-40 at the break. After Khady Ngom opened the second half with a bucket that pushed the Southern Nazarene lead to 43-40, a Kelly Forrest three-pointer sparked a 13-0 run that game Lambuth a 53-43 lead less than five minutes into the second half. Lambuth's Reggie Maddox scored 16 of her game-high 29 points after halftime. Ngom finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead Southern Nazarene.