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SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Davenport women's basketball team did not want to pack its bags and go back home just yet. After trailing by seven at halftime, the second-seeded Lady Panthers put together a huge rally and used an outstanding defensive performance in the second half to beat the quadrant's top seed Eastern Oregon 62-60 Saturday to advance to its second ever Fab Four.
 
Davenport (33-2) will face the winner of Northwestern (Iowa) or Saint Francis, who plays after the Lady Panthers.
 
Tiesha Stokes had 15 points and 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season, and after only scoring three points in the opening period, Karli Harris tallied nine in the second for 12 points on the afternoon. The senior and Kendra Cook also had perfection on the charity stripe as both of them went 4-for-4.
 
Davenport had a difficult time trying to find a momentum in the first half, but the Mountaineers had no trouble finding the bucket from beyond the arc. Eastern Oregon's Brooke Randall would nail four of the Mountaineers seven 3-pointers.
 
Both teams would tie the score five times and change lead three times. The Lady Panthers longest run in the first period was 8-0, when they built a 13-9 lead with 11:40 left.
 
Just when DU turned a seven-point deficit to one within the final two minutes, the Mountaineers took advantage of a pair of visits to the charity stripe and a jumper to take a 39-32 lead at intermission.
 
But Davenport came out of the locker room with a different look. As they held Randall without a point throughout the half, the Lady Panthers got themselves back into the game using a 16-2 run to take a 53-51 lead with 8:38 left.
 
Within the final minutes of the game, Stokes made one free throw and Harris added a pair after that proved to be the difference in the game. Kelsea Hurliman, who led the Mountaineers with 23 points on the day, nailed a jumper to make it a two-point game.
 
With eight seconds on the board, the Mountaineers set up the game-winning shot from the left corner pocket but it bounced off the rim and the Lady Panthers held down Eastern Oregon for the win.
 
 
Post-Game Quotes –
 
Head Coach Mike Williams
On the performance – “I got us out of the game in the first half and our players got us back in the game in the second. They took the challenge. I said they are going to have to stop them because shots weren't falling and they stepped up. We went with a different lineup. We went with a smaller and quicker lineup in the second half and I thought that made their 3's a little tougher. Their 3-point shots were coming at the end of the shot clock instead of comfortable ones, and again, I thought that helped us.”
 
On guarding Brooke Randall at the last second – “I said they are going run a ball screen the right side of the floor, and they are going to pitch it to that right corner. I drew it on the board and told them that kid is going to be wide open. I said if somebody cannot help and get to that and challenge it, but we didn't. We helped. We sucked up because that is our defense and we kind of leave that open. But what a great look. Great play.”
 
On going to the Fab Four – “It's special for anybody. But we got a group of seniors that have done whatever it takes to win and as you know some of them in this game weren't playing as much but they were still into the game and rallying for their teammates.”
 
 
Senior Guard Karli Harris
 
On her second half performance – “Coach (Mike Williams) challenged me at halftime - and the whole team really - just do what we have been doing all year and that was to get to the basket, get to two feet, score around the rim and just play our game.”
 
On limiting Eastern Oregon's 3-point shooting in the first half – “The challenge was more on our defensive end, to really step up and lock up their shooters because hands down they are a great team, probably the best guards we've played all year. On (Kelsea Hurliman) and (Brooke Randall) they are great shooters, great penetrators, but once we took it upon ourselves to lock up defensively and keep them up front, they couldn't do much.”
 
On the return to the Fab Four – “It's really special. I think it really speaks volume for this group of newcomers, and even the girls you are not familiar with that have been in the program for a couple of years. We're just not ready for it to end and it's just a lot of fun to play.”
 
Post-Game Notes
Davenport improves to 12-8 in the NAIA Division II Tournament…The Lady Panthers win the inaugural meeting against Eastern Oregon. It was the first time in nine games DU shot under 45 percent from the field, going .389 on the afternoon...After recording two steals, Karli Harris still sits third on the all-time list with 263. Kallie Benike (2007-11) sits second with 308...Harris also jumped into the single-season top 10 in points. She has scored 503 and needs two more to tie Benike for eighth...Alex Law is also climbing in the single-season record book for 3-points made as she joins Jen Rausch and Sara Haverdink for second all-time with 75. Rausch holds the record with 86 set in 2004-05...Tiesha Stokes, who collected 12 rebounds, has now tied Shannon Callaghan (2005-06) for sixth in the single-season list...Harris and Stokes also continue to rise in the steals single-season department. Harris has stolen 127 basketballs, Stokes with 112, to sit third and fourth, respectively.
 
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