CANTON -- The Malone University women's basketball team will begin competition in the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship with the Regional Quarterfinals on Friday evening.

The Pioneers enter as the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on the No. 1 seed, and region host, Ashland University. This will be Malone's fourth match up with Ashland overall this season, and their third meeting within a span of 16 days.

The Pioneers earned an at-large bid into the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Out of 312 Division II women's college basketball teams, only 64 will play in the tournament. Of those 64 spots, 23 are automatic bids for the team that wins their conference, meaning Malone is one of 13% of all teams in the country to earn an at-large bid to the tournament. 

This will be the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history for the women's basketball team. The Pioneers earned an automatic bid after winning the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship in 2017. Malone also played Ashland in the first round of the tournament that season.

Matchup: (8) Malone University Pioneers (21-9, 14-6 G-MAC) vs (1) #1 Ashland University Eagles (31-0, 20-0 G-MAC)
Where: Ashland, Ohio | Kates Gymnasium
When: Friday, March 10 | 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: Ashland University Ticket Office
Live Video Stream: Ashland University Athletics
Live Stats: Ashland University Athletics

Pioneers Last Time Out 
The Pioneers finished their Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament run in the G-MAC Semifinals on Friday, March 3rd.

Malone faced off against Ashland University at Kates Gymnasium. The game was a close one early on as there was ten lead changes and a tie within the first ten minutes. 

The Pioneers worked to continue to keep the game close, even as Ashland started to build a lead.

At halftime, the Eagles had a 39-32 lead, but Ashland continued to extend their lead, ultimately closing out the game with a 80-56 victory.

Brooklyn Troyer led the Pioneers with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and a career-high 5 steals.

G-MAC Freshman of the Year Erin Kaufman had 14 points and Brinn Hunt matched that scoring her own 14 points. They each pulled down four rebounds.

Pioneer Points

• Alexis Hutchison leads the Pioneers offense, averaging 17.6 points per game and in her senior season thus far has amassed 529 points. She has scored 10+ points in all but two games this season and has put up at least 20 points 11 different times. Her efforts on the defensive end of the floor are also impactful with 60 steals and 137 defensive rebounds.
• Emma Kallas is shooting 50% from the field and averaging 12.1 points per game in her senior campaign. Kallas has also pulled down a total of 162 rebounds and has had 8 blocks. Erin Kaufman rounds out the double-digit scorers averaging 11.7 points per game and had a team-high 203 season rebounds.
• Despite having just nine on the roster, Malone has impressed this season as everyone has contributed to the season's effort. In the pre-season G-MAC Coaches Poll, the Pioneers were picked to finish out of the post-season, at 9th, but clinched a top-four spot and hosted the opening round of the conference tournament.
• Head Coach Selana Reale led her team to their first 20 win season since she took over ahead of the 2018-2019 season. It is the first 20 win season for the program since Malone won the G-MAC Conference Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA DII Women's Basketball Tournament in the 2016-2017 season.