Atherton, CA-The bracket is set and Menlo Women's Basketball has officially earned a five seed in the Duer Quadrant. The Oaks are set to take on the twelfth seeded Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. The first two rounds of play will take place up north in Ashland Oregon with Southern Oregon University serving as the host. With every matchup now taking on the pressure of "win or go home" one thing can be certain, this team will be locked in with their eyes set on a trip to Sioux City, Iowa.

Previewing the Oaks

It was another successful year for head coach Shannon Spataro and her team as the Oaks once again earned an at-large bid to the NAIA National Tournament. During the season Menlo compiled an 18-8 record including an 11-3 record in conference play. From December 21st through February 1st the Oaks rattled off 11 straight wins. In conference play the Oaks compiled four wins against other national qualifying teams highlighted by a 21 point road victory over Vanguard.

Statistically, it was a strong showing for Menlo with the team putting up well rounded numbers as a collective. Menlo would lead the GSAC in points per game during conference play with an average 76.2 points per game during conference games. The Oaks also posted the top field goal and three point percentage in conference play as well. Over the last few months, Menlo's offense has been operating at a high level. On the defensive side of the ball Menlo was one of the top units in the conference in terms of both generating turnovers and limiting them as well. In conference play the Oaks forced 258 total turnovers while only giving the ball away 197 times. With games taking on such a high level of finality, valuing each and every possession is critical in advancing through these types of tournaments.

Menlo will deploy a very deep roster with nine players all averaring 10 or more minutes per game with all nine of said players seeing action in at least 20 games. Leading the way for the Oaks is the all-conference tandem of Kiara Brown and Jordyn Rosette. Brown once again led the Oaks in both points and rebounds per game. Her averages of 16.6 points and 9.8 rebounds on average highlight her ability to impact the game both as an offensive focal point and force on the boards. Jordyn Rosette has undergone a bit of a breakout season thanks to her shifting to a more perimeter oriented role. While out on the wing Rosette has averaged close to 14 points per game while shooting a blistering 42 percent from deep. Rosette will likely be called upon by her coaching staff to not only guard the top scoring options of opponents in the tournament but also serve as one of the teams primary offensive threats as well.

Speaking of breakouts, Jasmyne Huggins and Aliya Hunter have been huge pieces of this puzzle all season long and will continue to be called upon in the postseason. Huggins had spent much of her time at Menlo as a key member of the second unit. Yet, this season, Huggins has emerged not only as a starter but a player who arguably deserved all-conference recognition as well. For the season, she scored 12.8 points per game and grabbed 6 rebounds per game. Since entering the starting lineup back on December 21st, Huggins failed to score in double figures only three times. Alongside Huggins, Aliya Hunter has also risen to the occasion this season to become one of the best shooters in the conference. On the year, Hunter shot 44 percent from three. With a trio of dominant forwards, having a shooter like Hunter to space the floor will prove invaluable to keeping the Oaks offensive playing at a high level. 

Lastly, there are not many teams with a second unit as deep as Menlo. Alberte Frisch, Tia Morgan, Jesni Cooper and Frida Schmidt provide a huge array of options for coach Spataro to employ. The Australian duo of Cooper and Morgan are a pair of wings that are capable of filling almost any role on the court. Defensively they have the size and athleticism to guard almost any position. Couple their defensive versatility with the ability to score or handle the ball and the Oaks two Australians are staples of this Menlo team. Meanwhile, Schmidt and Frisch also bring in the ability to space the floor as some of the top shooters on the team. Frisch is one of the most fun players to watch given her tendency to play with a flair as a ball handler, passer and scorer. 

Reviewing the Blue Raiders

Lindsey Wilson enters the tournament with an overall record of 19-11 while posting a .500 record going 6-6 in conference play. The Blue Raiders ended the year receiving votes towards an NAIA Top 25 ranking and picked up some key wins throughout the year. Most notably, they went a perfect 3-0 against  Freed-Hardeman University who spent much of the season ranked in the top 25. 

Lucy Patterson with 12.3 and 8.4 rebounds per game and Ameila Hodges 10.9 points per game leads Lindsey Wilson from a statistical standpoint but this is a deep roster. Seven other players average over 13 minutes of playing time per game. They have been an efficient team on both ends of the court shooting 44 percent from the field across 30 games while holding opponents to roughly 40 percent. They are also a strong free throw shooting team with almost all of their key rotation pieces shooting at least 73 percent from the free throw line.

Overall this should be a great matchup for the Oaks. Lindsey Wilson comes into this game with plenty of experience and a talented roster. But, look to the Oaks to show why they are the higher seed with a combination of high level shot making and defensive intensity. While the team fell short of their goal of winning one last GSAC Championship, the stage is set for a "revenge game" situation for the Oaks to remind everyone in the nation they are one of the best teams in the entire NAIA.