GLVC Championship Tournament Central | Game Notes (pdf)

Romeoville, Ill. - The No. 11 Lewis University women's basketball team (22-4) will take on Truman State (19-8) in the quarterfinals of the 2014 Deaconess Great Lakes Valley Conference Women's Basketball Championship Tournament on Thursday (March 6) at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. Tip off is set for 6 PM. 

  Live stats, audio and video streaming of Thursday's contest can be found at www.LewisFlyers.com and can also be heard on WJOL (1340 AM) with Mark Vasko providing the play-by-play action for the Lewis Sports Network. The game can also be found on WLRA (88.1 FM).

SERIES RECORD – The Flyers hold 1-0 all-time series record over the Bulldogs. 

HOME SWEET FORD CENTER - In the first season the GLVC Championship Tournament was held at the Ford Center, the Flyers picked up three-straight wins to collect the 2013 GLVC Women's Basketball Championship. Lewis defeated Missouri S&T (50-42), UW-Parkside (61-59) and Maryville (76-61) on the way to the 2013 title.

LAST TIME WE FACED OFF – Lewis collected a 98-72 victory over Truman State on Jan. 3rd at Neil Carey Arena to open the GLVC slate. Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) led the Flyers with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) chipped in 23 points.

LAST TIME ON THE COURT – Lewis defeated UW-Parkside 69-56 on Feb. 27th to wrap up the regular season at Neil Carey Arena. Brawner-Henley paced the Flyers with 29 points and 12 rebounds while Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) tallied 13 points and Kristin Itschner (Metamora, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) added 10 points.

FLYER OF THE YEAR - Brawner-Henley was named the 2014 GLVC Women's Basketball Player of the Year on March 4th. She is the fourth Flyer in program history to earn the honor and the first since Darcee Schmidt (2007). She also joins Mary Moskal (2006) and Julie Fruendt (1984).

AWARD SEASON - Along with Brawner-Henley, Reinhart and Johnson were named to the All-GLVC First Team on March 4. Johnson was also named to the GLVC All-Defensive Team while Reinhart collected her second-straight First Team honor.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS - In the Flyers 71-37 victory on Feb. 6, Lewis held Rockhurst to the lowest points scored by an opponent since a 39-37 Flyer victory over the Hawks on Dec. 1, 2007 in Kansas City, Mo. 

SCORING THE BALL - Lewis has tallied six victories scoring at least 90 points this season, which is the most since the 1988-89 squad posted seven of their own. 

MOVING UP THE POLL - The Flyers moved up two spots to No. 11 in the USA Today Sports Division II Coaches Poll released on Tuesday (March 4). 

TOP OF THE GLVC - Lewis tops the GLVC in rebounds, averaging 43.5 rebounds-per-game, and in assists and are 15th nationally, averaging 17.2 helpers-per-game. The Flyers are second in the league and 11th nationally in blocked shots, swatting 5.1 shots-per-game. 

FLYING TO THE TOP – Brawner-Henley leads the country with 22 double-doubles in 26 contests this season, while ranking third nationally and leading the GLVC in rebounds, averaging 12.3 boards-per-game. The forward also paces the GLVC in points (18.7 ppg.).

SOPHOMORE SHINING BRIGHT – Brawner-Henley is the first Flyer to average a double-double since Fruendt completed the 1983-84 season averaging 18.9 points and 10.1 rebounds. 

FINDING WHO'S OPEN - The Flyers dished out a season-high 26 assists against both Southern Indiana (Jan. 23) and at Indianapolis (Jan. 30). 

BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER - Johnson and Reinhart, who both spent the off-season rehabbing after knee surgeries, have not missed a step this year as they are second and third, respectively, on the team in scoring and among the top-10 in the GLVC. Johnson is averaging 16.5 points-per-game while Reinhart averages 15.3 ppg.

SHARING THE ROCK – Junior Nikki Nellen is second in the conference and is 20th nationally in assists, dishing out 5.0 assists-per-game while Johnson is third in the GLVC, averaging 4.3 helpers-per-game.

FLYERS WITH 20-POINTS IN A GAME – Lewis has had seven contests this season with at least two players scoring 20 points, the most since the 1989-90 squad, which tallied nine games with a pair of teammates with 20 points.

DOUBLE-TROUBLE – Brawner-Henley and Reinhart have collected double-doubles in the same game four times this season. The frontcourt duo posted double-doubles against Purdue Calumet (Dec. 7), Indianapolis (Jan. 30), Rockhurst (Feb. 6) and UIS (Feb. 20).

DISHING DIMES - Nellen's 11 points and 10 assists against USI (Jan. 23) marked the first time since the 1986-87 season that a Flyer has collected a double-double in such a way since Rosemary Turner tallied 14 points and 11 assists in the Flyers 88-65 loss to Wright State on Dec. 16, 1986.

GUARDING AGAINST THE THREES - The Flyers are second the GLVC defending against three-pointers, holding opponents to 29.8% (138-of-463) from beyond the arc.

20-WIN SEASONS - With the win over UIS (Feb. 20), it marked the eighth time in program history the Flyers have won at least 20 contests in a season. It also marked the first time since the 1983-84 (21-8) and 1984-85 (22-7) seasons the Flyers have collected back-to-back 20-win seasons, which were both GLVC Championship title seasons under head coach Kathy Kissinger.

COLLECTING CONFERENCE WINS - The Flyers 16 Great Lakes Valley Conference victories this season are the most since the 2006-07 team won 17 contests.

REGIONALLY RANKED - The Flyers jumped to second in the latest installment of the NCAA Midwest Regional Rankings released on Feb. 26th. The next rankings will be released on March 5th.