INDEPENDENCE, Mo.— In the first round of the NAIA National Tournament, the (RV) William Woods University women's basketball team will face a tough test, as they will take on No. 5-ranked Bethel University (Tenn.). Tip-off will start at 6:15 p.m.
 
The Owls (23-8; 18-6 AMC), are the No. 7-seed in the tournament, after they finished in third place in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) during the regular season, eclipsed the 20-win mark for the seventh consecutive season and in its final 18 games on the year, WWU won 15 of them.
 
"I'm extremely pleased with finishing third in our conference and winning 23 games overall," said head coach Dan Chapla. "I thought our team reached its potential and that's all you can ask for as a coach."
 
On the season, the Owls averaged 69.3 points per game, shot 40.9 percent from the floor and 71.2 percent from the free throw line.
 
Leading the way on the year was senior Blake French, who scored 11.7 points per game, while shooting a team-high 50.4 percent from the field and 82.5 percent from the free throw line and in addition, the St. Charles, Missouri, native, led the team with 47 steals. For her efforts on the court, French was named to the All-AMC second team.
 
Nia Lateju is right behind French in scoring 11.5 points per game, shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 36.7 from behind the arc, while she is second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 159 on the year. The Norwalk, California native also was named to her first All-AMC third team in her first yer wearing the Owls uniform.
 
Kennedy Volkart, the sophomore from Russellville Missouri, also was named to her first All-AMC honorable mention team, after pushing her season average to 9.9 points per game, while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor and 73.6 percent from the free throw line. She totaled a team-high 202 rebound and 32 blocks on the season.
 
Bethel University (30-3; 18-0 SSAC) earned the No.2 seed after going a perfect 18-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference and winning the regular season championship. The Lady Wildcats had a dominating 2014-15 season, which included winning 24 straight games heading into the SSAC Conference Championship game, however fell to Loyal (La.) 81-59 early in March.
 
The No. 5 ranked Lady Wildcats average 75.5 points per game, while holding its opponents to 59.2 points. As a team they are shooting 41.7 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from the three point line. BU ranks No. 1 in the country in total three-point field goals made with 278, while also amassing 1411 rebounds and 256 steals on the season as a team. 
 
The Wildcats are lead offensively by Taylor Foster who averages 22.4 points per game, which ranks her No. 2 in the countr. The Madisonville, Kentucky native, is shooting 42.2 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in every game this season except one, while she is second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 7.5 per game.
 
Two other players the Owls will have to keep an eye on are Kenyatta Drake and Jackliann Street, as they are averaging 12.7 and 10.4 points respectively and Drake is leading the Wildcats in rebounds, averaging 10.2 per game.
 
"They are really athletic and like to pressure you in the half court extremely well," said Chapla. "They are not really big yet they have out-rebounded their opponents by 8 a game."
 
Chapla added, "We will need to not turn the ball over, get production out of our posts and most importantly, I think we need a little production from everyone who plays."
 
This will be the Owls seventh consecutive trip to the NAIA National Tournament and hopes to pull a huge upset in the opening round. If the Owls win, that would advance them to second round for a match-up against the winner of Carroll College and Benedictine College at 9:45 p.m on Friday March 20^th. 

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