LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 23 Southeastern enters postseason play on Friday evening as the Fire host fourth-seeded St. Thomas in the 2026 Sun Conference Women's Basketball Semifinals at The Furnace. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Lakeland, marking the fourth consecutive season the two programs have met in the Sun Conference Semifinals. SEU looks to continue its strong late-season momentum after closing the regular season with an 11-game winning streak.
Fans can follow all the action live through the Urban Edge Network App, available on smart TVs and mobile devices, or online at
urbanedgenetwork.net. Live statistics will also be provided throughout the game, while updates, highlights, and postgame coverage will be available across SEU Athletics social media platforms.
The Fire enter the semifinal round with a 25-3 overall record and a 15-1 mark in Sun Conference play, securing the regular-season championship. Southeastern has been dominant at home this season with a 15-1 record inside The Furnace while posting an 8-1 mark in road contests. The sustained success throughout the year has positioned SEU among the top teams nationally entering postseason competition.
Offensively, Southeastern ranks among the most efficient teams in the NAIA, averaging 78.0 points per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from three-point range. Ball movement continues to be a strength for the Fire, who average 17.6 assists per contest while consistently generating perimeter scoring opportunities. Southeastern also converts 75.4 percent of its free throws, helping maintain offensive efficiency in late-game situations and contributing to a +23.0 scoring margin on the season.
Defensively, the Fire allow just 54.9 points per game while limiting opponents to 38.0 percent shooting overall and 27.2 percent from beyond the arc. Southeastern's defensive pressure produces 12.0 steals per game and forces more than 22 turnovers per contest, frequently turning defense into transition offense. The Fire also maintain a positive rebounding margin while controlling tempo throughout games.
Graduate forward
Grace Field continues to anchor Southeastern on both ends of the floor. A First Team All-Sun Conference selection, Field averages 15.0 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 59 percent from the field. Her interior presence provides consistent scoring and rebounding production while serving as a key defensive piece in the paint.
Mya Herman, also a First Team All-Sun Conference honoree, leads the Fire in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Herman shoots 53.0 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three-point range while contributing as both a scorer and playmaker. Her ability to stretch defenses and create offense has been central to Southeastern's success throughout the season.
Kristiana Kulackovska, a Second Team All-Sun Conference selection, adds balance across the lineup with 8.0 points per game along with strong defensive versatility. She contributes in multiple areas statistically and plays an important role in Southeastern's ability to defend multiple positions while maintaining offensive rhythm.
Alley Haas provides one of the team's most consistent perimeter threats, averaging 8.0 points per game while shooting over 44 percent from three-point range. Her outside shooting has been a major factor behind Southeastern ranking among the national leaders in three-point efficiency.
Freshman guard
Sarah Davis rounds out a deep Fire rotation, averaging 7.5 points per game while shooting 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Davis has emerged as a key contributor off the bench, supplying scoring depth and energy heading into postseason play.
St. Thomas enters the semifinal matchup with an 18-10 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Sun Conference play after advancing with an 87-60 victory over Coastal Georgia in Tuesday night's quarterfinal round. The Bobcats average 71.5 points per game while allowing just under 60 points per contest, relying on balanced scoring and a strong rebounding presence that averages more than 41 rebounds per game. St. Thomas features multiple scoring options led by Sarei McGill, Joey Delancy, and Jaliyah Weekes, each averaging near double figures, while the team's physical play on the glass and ability to generate second-chance opportunities have been key factors throughout the season. The Bobcats enter Friday's semifinal having won four of their last five games.
Friday's contest adds another chapter to one of the Sun Conference's most consistent postseason matchups. Southeastern leads the all-time series 27-11, including a 14-4 record at home, and enters the game riding a six-game winning streak against the Bobcats while going 8-2 over the last 10 meetings. The programs first met in 2008 and have frequently crossed paths in the postseason, including Sun Conference Semifinal meetings in each of the past three seasons prior to this year. Southeastern has won each of the last five postseason matchups between the teams, including semifinal victories in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Earlier this season, the Fire earned two narrow wins over St. Thomas, claiming a 63-59 victory in Lakeland before edging the Bobcats 64-63 on the road earlier this month.
The winner of Friday's semifinal matchup will advance to the 2026 Sun Conference Women's Basketball Championship Game, scheduled for Saturday, February 28 at 6 p.m. inside The Furnace in Lakeland. The championship opponent will be determined on Friday evening, as Keiser and Webber International meet in the tournament's second semifinal at 7:15 p.m. The semifinal winners will return to the court less than 24 hours later with the conference title and the league's automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship on the line.
