Women’s Basketball: Lions in NAIA tourney

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The No, 7-ranked Vanguard women’s basketball team will open the NAIA Division I Tournament on Wednesday against Southern-New Orleans at the Independence Events Center at 7:45 p.m. PT.

Coach Russ Davis’ Lions (22-7) are making their 14th straight trip to the national tournament, their 17th overall. They have won 10 of their last 12 first-round games, including the last two. They have reached the semifinals four times and won a national championship in 2008.

Vanguard is without junior Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year Riley Holsinger, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in the regular-season finale.

The Lions are paced by 5-foot-11 junior All-American Samantha Doucette (17.2 points per game) and 6-0 junior Amber Alexander (12.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest).

Vanguard lost in the GSAC Tournament final to The Master’s, 60-54, but has won nine of its last 11 games.

Southern-New Orleans (21-4) won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and is making its third NAIA Tournament appearance. It has never won a first-round game, falling in 2013 and 2000,

The Lady Knights, who average 79.8 points per game, are led by senior forward Brandy Broome (18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game). They have won six in a row and 13 of their last 14.

The winner advances to Friday’s second-round game against either Lindsey Wilson of Kentucky (21-9), or Montana State Northern (27-5).

— Barry Faulkner