Cowgirls Advance To Section Final :: Thompson Has Four 3-Pointers

March 12, 2004

STEVENS POINT, Wis. - Hardin-Simmons' women's basketball team hit a NCAA Division III Championship record 14 3-pointers and advanced to the NCAA Sectional Final for the first time since 2000 as they defeated Eastern Mennonite, 91-64, Friday night in the Quandt Fieldhouse on the campus of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Freshman Lindsay Thompson came off the bench and hit four straight 3-pointers in the second half in the midst of a 21-4 HSU run that sealed the game. Leading just 43-37 with 19:07 to go in the game, HSU went on a 10-2 run and EMU never got closer than six the rest of the game.

"Coach asked me if I could hit that shot," said Thompson. "She put me in and I was able to hit the first two and then my teammates we're behind me from the bench."

Junior guard Diana Martinez was her sensational self, coming an assist shy of her second triple double of the season. She had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in 32 minutes. Veronica Jones led the Cowgirls with 17 points and she hit 3-of-4 shots from behind the arc.

"We worked so hard all year to get to this point," said Veronica Jones. "We want to win it all and we are in a position to get to the Final Four with one more win. Tonight was so much fun, because everyone played, everyone scored and we played so well.

Senior Lauren Harris had eight points and a career-best seven assists as she let her teammates have the open looks and she was the distributor, reversing her normal role. Thompson finished with 12 points and Hannah Jones had 11 points off the bench.

HSU was able to get plenty of rest as Keila Remmele played just 16 minutes and Melissa Henley had just 10 minutes. The two combined for six points and six rebounds.

Eastern Mennointe, who had one junior, and the rest sophomores and freshmen on their team, was led by Laura Ludholtz.

The Cowgirls improved to 27-2 with the win and Eastern Mennonite ended its season with a 25-4 mark. HSU will play the winner of Washington (Mo.) and UW-Stevens Point for the right to go to the Final Four, Saturday night at 7 p.m.