Women's Basketball Set to Take on Trailblazers in Round One of NAIA Nationals

LAKELAND, Fla.- For the sixth-consecutive season, the Southeastern University women's basketball team is set to compete in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship Tournament. This also the third-consecutive season the Fire will compete as a No. 1 Seed in the field. SEU is the top-seeded team in the Duer Bracket and will take on the No. 8-seeded Ohio Christian University Trailblazers in the first round of action in Sioux City.

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FIRE ALL-TIME IN SIOUX CITY:
 

• The Fire are 6-5 all time in the NAIA DII National Tournament.
• SEU has made three-straight appearances in the National Quarterfinals, including a run to the National Championship Game last season, where the Fire fell to Concordia (Neb.) 67-59.
• Just three players on the 2019-20 Southeastern roster have competed in Sioux City previously. Seniors Marlena Schmidt and Trisha Jacobs, as well as sophomore guard Reagan Linster make return trips to the Tyson Events Center.
• For Jacobs, this marks her fourth-straight appearance in Sioux City. She will become the first SEU women's basketball player to compete at NAIA DII Nationals in all four years of her collegiate career.
• Schmidt averaged 13.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game in the national tourney last season.

 
 
FIRE FOCUS:

• The 2019-20 SEU women's basketball team ranks top-10 in eight NAIA DII statistical categories, including first in scoring margin (36.207), first in team field goal percentage (.501), and second in points per game (89.310).
• Defensively, the Fire rank NAIA DII top-10 in nine defensive statistical categories, including first in scoring defense per game (53.103), rebound margin per game (10.862), and field goal percentage defense (.310).
• The third quarter has been a major quarter of separation for Southeastern, as the Fire outscore their opponents on average 10.62 points every third period.
• SEU features the nation's most prolific scorer in junior forward Taylah Simmons. The Melbourne, Australia native leads NAIA DII in points per game (23.793) and ranks fifth in individual field goal percentage (.591). Simmons was named the 2019-20 Sun Conference Player of the Year.
• The Fire are 23-0 when Simmons scores 16 points or more and are 3-3 when she is held to 15 or less.
• SEU features three other players who average double-digit scoring with sophomore guard Raegan Linster averaging 13.9 and shooting 39.3% from three-point range (79-201), junior forward M'caela Sellers averaging 11.8 and shooting 38.1% from behind the arc (43-113), and Schmidt averaging 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.897 blocks per game, which ranks third in NAIA DII.

 
THE TRAILBLAZERS:
 

• Ohio Christian earned its place in the field as the River States Conference Tournament Champions, defeating Indiana University Southeast 95-82 in the tournament final.
• This marks the first ever appearance for OCU in the NAIA DII National Championship Tournament.
• The only common opponent the Trailblazers share with the Fire is Keiser, whom OCU lost to 84-79 on November 2. SEU defeated Keiser twice in Sun Conference play this season by scores of 115-59 and 97-42.
• Offensively, Ohio Christian ranks fifth nationally in points per game (87.548) and 19^th in team field goal percentage (.442).
• On the defensive side, the Trailblazers rank eighth nationally in steals per game (12.935) and 25^th in rebounds per game (41.839).
• In order to score the upset, OCU will rely heavily on their do-it-all star senior guard Staci Pertuset. The First Team All-RSC placer leads the Trailblazers in points per game (21.3), field goal percentage (.491), assists per game (4.32), and steals per game (5).
• Freshman center Rachel Gillum has had a breakout campaign for OCU in her first season of collegiate basketball. Gillum has averaged 15.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this year. Additionally, the Second Team-All RSC big leads her team in blocks at 30.

 
FOLLOW THE FIRE:

• Be sure to follow @SEUFireWBB and @FireAthletics on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with the Fire as they look to make a championship run.