ASHLAND, Ohio – The sixth-seeded Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball team (19-10) advanced to the Finals of the 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships with a 77-69 win in the G-MAC Semifinals over seventh-seed Malone University (17-13). The Great Midwest Final Four is taking place at Kates Gym on the campus of Ashland University.
 
It is the first win over Malone in women's basketball for the Trojans. Malone won the first ten meetings.  
 
For the second year in a row the Trojans are in the Great Midwest Finals and taking on No. 1 Ashland taking on the No. 1 Ashland Eagles (29-1). The finals are set for 2:00 PM CT in Ashland's Kates Gym.

Great Midwest Championship Central
(Live Stats / Live Video).
 
The win increases the chances the Trojans will make a return trip to the NCAA Division II Championships at next week's Midwest Regional. Trevecca was ranked seventh in last week's regional ranking, the top eight in next week's ranking will advance to the regional.
 
The Midwest Regional begins with the quarterfinals on Friday, March 15. The semifinals are Saturday, March 16. The finals are Monday, March 18. Grand Valley State University is the No. 1 team in the region and are playing Wisconsin Parkside in the GLIAC Finals on Saturday.  
 
ON TO THE GREAT MIDWEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS, AGAIN
Last year, the Trojans made a miraculous run to not only the Great Midwest Championship Final, but also made their first appearance in the NCAA Championships and advanced to the region semifinals.
 
The Trojans met Ashland University in the Great Midwest Finals and in the Region Semifinals, falling both times. The Eagles, who won last year's national championship, going undefeated all the way, have lost just one game in the last two seasons and own a 7-0 lead in the series with Trevecca.
 
Trevecca made a run at the Eagles in Nashville earlier this year, losing by just four points, 72-68. Trevecca took their first lead at 6-5 with 8:11 to go in the first quarter and led the rest of the first half, owning a 34-29 lead at the intermission. Ashland regained the lead early in the third quarter, but the teams swapped the lead during the quarter and went to the fourth tied 55-55. Trevecca took a modest lead in the fourth, holding a 62-61 lead with 7:18 to go. Ashland eased ahead, but Trevecca tied it again at 66-66 with 2:30 left. With :13 left and AU up 70-68, the Trojans missed a shot in the paint and the Eagles rebounded and were able to salt the game away, 72-68.  
 
The Trojans will try it again in Kates Gym, playing the defending national champions for the conference championship.  
 
Ashland has won the last two Great Midwest Championships. Trevecca is looking for their first conference tournament championship, but have two regular season titles. This is the fourth trip to the finals for the Trojans.
 
The G-MAC Final Four is hosted by top seed Ashland University (27-1, 20-0 Great Midwest), the regular season champions.
 
BREAKING IT DOWN    
The Pioneers took off from the start, fresh off their upset of second seeded Kentucky Wesleyan College on Tuesday in Owensboro, Ky. They led TNU 7-2 and despite the Trojans tying the game at 8-8, Malone surged again to go up 17-10, closing out the first quarter with a 17-12 lead.
 
Malone extended their lead to 19-12 with the opening basket of the second quarter, but the Trojans caught fire, scoring 10 straight to take their first lead when freshman Brianna Burgess hit first of her two big three point baskets in the game. Burgess put the Purple and White up 22-19 with 6:37 go to in the half. With 4:24 to go in the quarter and half, another freshman, Kathryne Patton hit a jumper to put the Trojans up 26-24. The Pioneers took a turn with the hot hand and closed the half on a 9-5 run to take a 33-31 lead into the half.
 
A pair of Faith Wilken free throws tied the game at 33-33 to start the third quarter, but the Pioneers built a seven-point lead (43-36) with a 10-3 run at the 6:22 mark. By the end of the third quarter, the Malone lead was six (57-51).
 
Faith Wilken caught fire to start the fourth quarter, hitting a three-pointer just :12 in. Wilken scored the first seven Trojan points of the quarter, setting up Konnor Gambrell's three-pointer that put the Trojans up for the first time in the second half, 61-60 with 8:01 to play. A minute later, Keeley Carter sank a free throw to put Trevecca up 62-60, capping a game-changing 11-3 run. The Trojans didn't stop there, after a Erin Kaufman layup cut the lead to 64-62, the Trojans turned on the jets for a 14-4 run that put them up 10 (76-66) with just 1:16 to go. Keeley Carter scored eight in the run and the Trojans hit a combined 6-of-7 from the field. Trevecca salted away the win from there.
 
Faith Wilken scored 10 in the quarter and Keeley Carter added nine. Trevecca outscored Malone 26-12 in the fourth.
 
KEY PLAYERS    
Keeley Carter had a game-high 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting with six rebounds, nine assists, and three steals.

Konnor Gambrell tossed in 18 points including a three pointer.

Faith Wilken added 17 points and hit 3-of-6 from deep and chipped in four rebounds, and assist, and a block.  
 
TEAM TIME    
The Trojans outrebounded the Pioneers 37-32 and turned the ball over nine times to ten for MU.
 
Malone hit 14 three-pointers in the regular season meeting, an 80-75 win for the Pioneers on the Trojans home court, but they hit just 6-of-22 in the semifinal rematch.
 
Trevecca shot 48.4% (31-64) from the field, 50% (8-16) from deep, and just 53.8% (7-13) from the foul line.     
 
UP NEXT    
Trevecca moves to the Great Midwest Finals for the second year in a row. The Trojans