ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Ferris State University women's basketball squad notched its first NCAA Division II Tournament win in 12 years on Friday (March 15) afternoon as the Bulldogs rolled to a decisive 75-53 win over Lewis University (Ill.) in the Midwest Regional at the Grand Valley State Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale.
Ferris State jumped in front early and cruised to the triumph, outscoring the Flyers 18-12 in the first quarter and 25-8 in the second while building a lead as large as 31 points early in the third period.
With the win, the third-seeded Bulldogs improved to 23-5 overall this year and will advance to the regional semifinals on Saturday (March 16) evening against second-seeded Ashland with tipoff set for 5 p.m. (ET) in Allendale.
In Friday's triumph, the Bulldogs got a pair of double-double performances from both senior forward Chloe Idoni along with junior guard Kadyn Blanchard. Idoni finished with 23 points and 11 boards while Blanchard poured in 17 points and hauled down a game-high 12 boards in the victory. FSU also got 11 points off the bench from sophomore Elle Irwin.
Ferris State sizzled in the first half and shot 43.3% overall from the floor along with eight-of-33 (24.2%) from long range for the game. FSU went nine-of-11 (81.8%) at the free throw stripe.
Defensively, the Bulldogs put together a stellar performance, holding the Flyers to only 36.5% shooting overall and a two-of-16 (12.5%) effort from the three-point line. Lewis finished five-of-nine (55.6%) at the line.
The Bulldogs owned the glass, producing a 46-34 rebounding margin while pulling down 13 offensive caroms. FSU also dished out 18 assists, including seven from junior Kenzie Bowers and six by senior guard Mallory McCartney.
FSU never trailed in the game against the sixth-seeded Flyers, who had won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament Championship this year and were winners of 12-straight games entering the matchup.
Saturday's regional semifinal will be carried live by local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network with pregame coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. (ET) from the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. A live video pay-per-view webcast will also be available at NCAA.com.