WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Huntington women’s basketball team learned earlier tonight they will be packing their bags for Hastings (Neb.) to compete in the 2025 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, slated for March 14-15 at Lynn Farrell Arena.

It’s HU’s first trip to the big dance since 2015. Coach Darby Maggard’s crew received one of 29 at-large bids. The Foresters will face #5 LSU Shreveport on Friday with tip-off to be announced. This will be the first time these two programs have met.

Huntington heads into the opening round as the No. 12 seed with a record of 17-12 which includes two wins over Top 15 opponents. This is the seventh time the Foresters have advanced to an NAIA postseason tournament.

LSU Shreveport received an automatic bid as the Red River Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions. The Pilots bring a 27-3 record into the tourney which includes a 23-1 conference record. This is LSUS’s 13th trip to nationals with their most recent appearance last year.

The other two teams in the Hastings bracket include host and 4th-seeded Hastings (Neb.) and 13th-seeded College of the Ozarks (Mo.).

Four other Crossroads League teams punched their ticket to nationals including Indiana Wesleyan (#1 seed), Saint Francis (#3 seed), Marian (#3 seed) and Spring Arbor (#14 seed).

The 64-team field includes 35 automatic qualifiers and 29 at-large selections. The tournament begins with the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds at 16 host sites throughout the country. The winner from each site advances to the final site in Sioux City (Iowa) for a 16-team single-elimination tournament that runs from March 20-25 at the Tyson Events Center.