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HOUGHTON, Mich. – For the first time in program history, the Flyers are going to play for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight. No. 4 Lewis women's basketball used a 9-0 run in the second half to pull away from Wayne State (MI) on Saturday (March 14) evening 71-63 in the 2015 NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals played at Michigan Tech University.

Sixth seeded Wayne State had just scored four straight to knot the score at 50 with 9:04 left when second seeded Lewis asked for time. Senior Kristin Itschner (Metamora, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame) came out of the break with a jumper to give the lead back to Lewis. She picked up a steal on the other end and was then fouled by Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year Shareta Brown. It was Brown's fourth and Itschner made both free throws to put Lewis up by four. Brown went to the bench and Lewis scored the next five points to go up 59-50. The final four points came on driving layups by senior Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) right under the basket in the area previously occupied by Brown.

Wayne State was forced to put Brown back in the game but she didn't stay on the court long. It was Player of the Year vs. Player of the Year when 2015 Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year junior Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) drove to the basket with 2:38 remaining. Johnson and Brown met in the lane and Brown was called for a blocking foul. It was Brown's fifth of the game.

Lewis finished the game from there. Just like on Friday in Lewis' win over UW-Parkside, Lewis never trailed in the second half. The same can't be said for the first 20 minutes. Wayne State held a lead as large as eight at the 11:15 mark of the first before Lewis went on a 17-5 run. Lewis went up by five points at 30-25 on a 3-pointer by junior Alyssa Dengler (Chicago, Ill./Trinity). But by halftime the score was knotted at 38.

Wayne State held a 42-16 edge in points in the paint but the Warriors connected on only 3-of-22 from beyond the arc. Lewis did much off their work from the free throw line, making 21-of-27 while Wayne State finished just 6-of-9 from the line.

"I'm so proud of this group," Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen said. "We threw a ton at them over the last 24 hours to get them ready for this game and they delivered."

Brown totaled 14 points and 16 rebounds for Wayne State. Johnson finished with 20 points thanks to knocking down 9-of-12 from the line. Senior Jess Reinhart (Normal, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) had 15 points. Junior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) recorded her 49^th career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She needs one more double-double to become only the 10^th player in NCAA DII history to notch 50 in a career.

Lewis is now 30-2, making them the first GLVC team since Drury in 2005-06 to reach 30 wins. The Flyers are only the fifth team in GLVC history to record 30 wins in a season.

Wayne State finishes the season 23-6.

Lewis will play fifth-seeded Ashland on Monday (March 16) at 7 p.m. ET for the right to advance to the Elite Eight. Ashland upset No. 1 seed and host Michigan Tech on Saturday night.