BILLINGS, Mont. – Nine-time national champion Oklahoma City University opens play in the NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament 9:45 p.m. MDT (10:45 p.m. CDT) March 14 against Arizona Christian at Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark.
The Stars (29-4) garnered a No. 3 seed in the Duer Bracket and the No. 10 ranking in the last poll. OCU has captured national championships in 1988, 1999, 2000, '01, '02, '12, '14, '15 and 2017.
Oklahoma City secured an NAIA Division I Tournament berth for the 22nd year in a row and 25th time overall by capturing its 19th SAC regular-season championship. The Stars have won or shared the SAC regular-season crown the past three years and nine of the past 10.
OCU notched its 20th 25-win season in 21 years with its 88-42 win over Panhandle State on Feb. 14 in Goodwell, Okla. The Stars stand one win shy of their 13th 30-win season. Since 1998-99, OCU has won at a .882 clip with a 644-86 mark. OCU owns the best record in NAIA Tournament competition with a 71-15 mark.
The Stars boast of six all-SAC performers. Abby Selzer, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Thomas, Okla., took first-team all-conference and SAC freshman of the year. Selzer has produced 17.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.12 blocked shots a game. She leads the NAIA with a 65 percent field-goal percentage.
Taylor LaCour and Mallory Lockhart of OCU were third-team all-league, while Taylor Sylvester and Payton Taylor became honorable-mention all-SAC. Bo Overton garnered the John Hudson SAC coach of the year. OCU has allowed the lowest field-goal percentage in the NAIA at 28.8 percent.
Arizona Christian enters the tournament at No. 21 in the ratings and qualified as an at-large entry. Three-time all-Golden State Athletic Conference honoree Courtney Christmas spearheads the Firestorm (21-11). Christmas, a 5-11 senior, leads the NAIA in scoring and provides Arizona Christian with 23.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.13 steals and 2.56 blocks a contest.
For the tournament web site with ticket information and a visitor's guide to the area, click here.
Stretch Internet, the NAIA's official video streaming company of select NAIA national championship events, will broadcast the first 30 games from Billings. Day passes cost $9.95, while an all-tournament pass with 30 games is available for $34.95. For more information and to pre-register, click here. All of the games of the national championship will be available via live stats here.
ESPN3 will show the NAIA Division I women's basketball tournament championship game live 7 p.m. MDT (8 p.m. CDT) on March 19.