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HOUGHTON, Mich. – Behind a pair of 30-point performances, No. 4 Lewis women's basketball defeated fifth seeded Ashland 83-76 on Monday (March 16) evening in the 2015 NCAA Midwest Region Championship at Michigan Tech University. It is Lewis' first regional championship in program history.

The win advances Lewis to the Elite Eight in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Flyers will play Southeast Region Champion Limestone on Tuesday, March 24 at a time to be determined.
 
Junior Mariyah Brawner-Henley (Skokie, Ill./Niles North) scored 30 points, including 21 in the second half, while grabbing 18 rebounds for second seeded Lewis. It is her 50^th career double-double, making her only the 10^th player in NCAA history to reach 50.

Junior Jamie Johnson (South Holland, Ill./Marian Catholic) had a game-high 31 points with a career-best 14-of-14 performance at the free throw line.
 
"I think in big time games, big time players step up," Lewis head coach Lisa Carlsen said. "I think that's what you saw tonight. There were times we struggled on both ends of the floor and they responded extremely well to being challenged."

Both teams traded runs in the opening half. Ashland opened up on fire, taking a 14-8 lead seven minutes into the contest. Then the Flyers' offense started to roll. Two Johnson free throws at 12:16 gave Lewis their first lead at 15-14. It was part of a 20-6 run that put the Flyers up by as many as eight points. But Ashland controlled the final four minutes of the half, going on a 9-0 stretch to close the period to take a 34-32 lead to the locker room.

Ashland led 41-36 with 16:45 remaining when Lewis went on a game changing 19-4 run. Brawner-Henley scored 16 straight points in the push. It was a transition 3-pointer by senior Alexus Grayer (Washington, Ill./Washington) at the 11:51 mark that put Lewis up 55-45 and forced an Ashland timeout.

The closest Ashland would get the rest of the way was at 73-68 with 1:35 remaining. Johnson was fouled on the ensuing possession and made both to put Lewis back up three possessions. Her free throws were the first of 10 straight Lewis made down the stretch to ice the regional championship.
 
Senior Nikki Nellen (New Berlin, Wis./Pius XI) had five assists to bring her career total to 504, a new Lewis program record for career assists. She passed Brittney Diener's record of 500. Nellen helped Lewis notch 19 assists on 27 baskets.
 
"This has been a great staff and a great group of kids to work with," Carlsen said. "So us going into uncharted waters into the Elite Eight, if you asked (the team) that's something they expected."

Johnson and Brawner-Henley were named to the Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team with Brawner-Henley taking home Most Outstanding Player honors. Johnson and Brawner-Henley combined for 61 of Lewis' 83 points on Monday night.

Ashland concludes the season 25-9. Lewis improves to 31-2