SAN ANGELO – The Angelo State women's basketball team will face Colorado School of Mines in the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament on Thursday, March 10 at 8:30 p.m. in the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian.
The Belles are making the program's ninth NCAA Division II Tournament and the first since 2005 after winning the fifth LSC Tournament Championship. ASU is 22-7 and has the sixth most wins in program history. The 22 wins are the most since the 2007-08 season which is also the last time the Belles made the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the game will move on the to the South Central Regional Semifinals to face the winner of the No. 1 seed Lubbock Christian and the No. 8 seed Texas Woman's on Friday, March 11 at 7:30 p.m. The South Central Regional Championship game will be held on Sunday, March 13 at 7 p.m.
"It has been really neat to watch this team go from a group of kids that didn't know each other in the fall to a NCAA Tournament bound team," Angelo State head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker said. "Normally it doesn't happen this quickly. To see it happen this fast has been great to watch as a staff and to be a part of."
The Belles first round opponent will be the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers. It will be the first meeting in program history for the two schools. CSM went 21-6 on the season and 19-3 in the RMAC. The Orediggers score 64.4 points per game and hit 38.2-percent from the field. CSM hits 27.9-percent from the 3-point line and rebounds 46.9 per game. Courtney Martin and Laura Tyree lead CSM in scoring at 11.5 and 11.1 points per game. Emily Bailey also averages 10.3 points per game.
"It is a contrast in styles," Baker said. "We are fast and up-tempo and they are slower and methodical. They are a quality team and they don't make a lot of mistakes. They can score a lot of different ways and we are going to have our hands full."
The Belles offense is scoring 78.7 points per game while defensively holding teams to 69.6 points per game. The 78.7 points per game is the third most in a single season in program history. ASU has tied the single season record for three pointers in a season with 187 and have attempted the most three's in a season with 545. The Belles also force 15.3 turnovers per game and hand out 16.8 assists per game.
 "We are not changing anything," Baker said. "We have to go and win the next game and not ahead. It is one game at a time and we need to focus on Colorado Mines."
Taylor Dorsey leads the Belles offensively with 16.9 points per game. She is second on the team in rebounds with 6.1 per game. The junior has 116 assists which is the eighth most in a single season. She has recorded 40 steals and makes 45.1-percent from the field. Dorsey has six double-doubles on the season and 21 double figures games. She also has eight games with at least 20 points and two with at least 30. She was one of three Belles named to the All-LSC first team.
Jasmien Prophet, the LSC Player of the Year and LSC Tournament MVP, has scored 13.7 points per game. She has five double-doubles on the season and 20 games in double figures. The junior has six games with at least 20 points and three of the games have come in the last four. The Jackson native leads the team with 6.2 rebounds per game and has five games with at least 10 boards. She has recorded the fifth most blocks in a single season with 48 on the season. She leads the team with a shooting percentage of 48.9. Prophet has also recorded 35 assists and 35 steals.
Brea Mitchell, an All-LSC first team selection, has scored 12.4 points per game this season and is second on the team with 80 assists. The senior has scored double figures in 19 games including seven of the last eight. She is one of 10 players with double-digit assists. The Plano native has hit 36 three pointers on the season and is 85.4-percent from the free throw line.
KeAnna Kelly is averaging 8.3 points and leads the team with 40 three pointers. The sophomore has handed out 57 assists and stole 31 passes with nine blocks. She has scored In 13 straight games and has recorded 3.1 rebounds per game.
Christina Robinson has scored 6.2 points per game and leads the team with 46 steals. The junior has dished out 75 assists on the season. The Gilbert, Arizona, native scored a career high 13 points in the LSC semifinals. It was her fourth game in double figures.
The bench has been key with Diamalises Rivera, Lexi Murphy, Kiahna Thompson, Natalie Quesnel and Nekeita Bailey contributing this season. Rivera is scoring 6.8 points and grabbing 3.6 rebounds. She makes 46.1-percent from the field and 79.4-percent from the free throw line. Murphy scored a career high 20 points in the LSC Championship game and is ASU's top free throw shooter at 86.2-percent. She is scoring 5.3 points per game on the season and has made 29 three pointers on the season. Thompson leads the team in three-point shooting with a 43.3-percent. The sophomore has scored 4.4 points per game and has handed out 25 assists. Quesnel scores 3.0 points per game and 2.0 rebounds while Bailey has handed out 21 assists.
The game will be broadcasted locally on 101.9 KWFR with Jeremy Bryant on the call.
