Women's Basketball | 3/4/2015 7:56:00 PM
Live StatsLive VideoTournament Central WebsiteFORT SMITH, Ark. – The St. Edward's Women's Basketball team is heading back to the Heartland Conference Tournament for a third-straight year as they look to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
St. Edward's (15-11) will be the No. 4 seed going into the tournament and they will take on tournament host #1 Arkansas Fort Smith. St. Edward's defeated the Lions in the first game of their Heartland Conference matchups by a score of 73-66, but fell in the second matchup, 89-72.
Head Coach J.J. Riehl said that the team is ready go this weekend, "The team is in a good spot mentally. They had a rejuvenate spirit this week in practice and are excited about the opportunity. With such a young team we have had difficulty navigating the duration of the season and have lacked the ability to stay mentally engaged in big moments. However, I think the start of postseason play really helps them narrow their vision and focus. "
Riehl also spoke highly of Arkansas Fort Smith and gave us a fairly in depth rundown of what she expects from her team this weekend, "They do a great job of creating and dictating tempo and style of play. We have to handle the full court pressure and not let that effect what we need to do to be successful, offensively. Secondly, we will have to defend them on the offensive glass and eliminate second-chance scoring opportunities. Lastly, we have to handle the big moments in the game as they come with focus and to stay within ourselves."
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. this Friday from the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, Ark. The winner will take on the winner of the No. 2 vs. No. 3 match up which features St. Mary's and UT-Permian Basin in the Heartland Conference Championship Game Saturday at 2 p.m. Adult tickets will cost $6, Non-Fort Smith students are $4 and a Tournament Pass will be available for $10. Free live stats and video will be available through the Arkansas Fort Smith Athletic Website.
