USCAA National Tournament Round 1 Preview

USCAA National Tournament Round 1 Preview
March 2, 2016

USCAA Women's Basketball National Tournament

#2 Penn State Hazleton vs. #7 University of Cincinnati - Clermont

Thursday, March 3 at 4:00 p.m. in Penn State Fayette's Main Arena

Uniontown, Pa.

The Lady Lions outstanding body of work throughout the 2015-16 season was rewarded with the number two seed in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association National Tournament held at the campus of Penn State Fayette. Hazleton will square off with the number seven seeded University of Cincinnati, Clermont College when women's division two basketball tips off on Thursday. 

#7 UC Clermont (14-10 Overall Record)

The Cougars strength lies in the play of their forwards and high quality shot selection. UC-Clermont leads the USCAA in assists, a tribute to their 50.3 field goal percentage, the best in the country. A trio of forwards lead the Cougars in scoring, including All-Americans Arica Stutz and Kelsey Finn, along with freshman forward Taylor Martin. The three players average roughly 46 of UC-Clermont's 72.3 points per game. Stutz, in addition to her scoring prowess, is dynamic on defense, pulling in 10.2 rebounds per game, led the USCAA with 103 blocked shots and swiped 83 steals in 2015-16. 

#2 Penn State Hazleton (21-4 Overall Record)

The Lady Lions rolled through the Penn State University Athletic Conference, going 13-0 until being upset by the PSAUC champion Penn State Beaver. Hazleton's 75.5 points per game is the fourth highest total in the USCAA and their 46.8 rebounds per contest rank the Lady Lions third in the country. The Lady Lions spread the wealth on offense with five players averaging eight or more points per game and are led by All-Americans Alexis Daly and McKenzie Prutsman. Perhaps Hazleton's greatest strength is in their defensive prowess. The Lions held opponents to just 54.1 points per game and a 31.3 shooting percentage from the field. 

Follow Thursday's USCAA National Tournament matchup with UC-Clermont @PSUHNAthletics for in game updates. Tune in to UC-Clermont vs. PSU Hazleton for live stats or check out the USCAA Women's Basketball Division II Quarterfinals for a live video feed.