Sioux City, Iowa - The Marian women's basketball team is gearing up for the NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinals, as the Knights will take on the University of Providence Argonauts. The top two seeds in the Naismith Quadrant will meet for the first time on Saturday afternoon at the Tyson Events Center with a ticket for the NAIA National Semifinals up for grabs.

HOW THEY GOT THERE
Marian earned a 72-63 win over Jamestown in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 on Thursday, defeating the Jimmies with a strong contribution from Abbey McNally and Kinnidy Garrard. McNally scored 16 points to go with 14 rebounds, and Garrard scored 17 in the win to lead Marian. Allison Bosse finished the game with 10 points, and the combination of Ella Collier, Sara Majorosova, Tamia Perryman, and Aliyah Evans factored the remainder of the scoring. 

Providence reached the national championship final site with wins in the First and Second Round over Eastern Oregon and Reinhardt, and followed their NAIA Tournament run with a Round of 16 win against Concordia. The Argos defeated the Bulldogs 73-66, shooting 46 percent from three in the game as they were 14-30 from deep. The Argos were also strong on the glass with 39 rebounds, including 15 from their center Keanna Salave'a. 

KEY LEADERS
Marian's leaders on the court include their seniors, led by the program's all-time leading scorer Ella Collier. Collier, who now has 2230 career points, leads Marian in scoring averaging just under 19 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Collier is the team-leader in assists as well, along with point-forward Aliyah Evans and point guard Sara Majorosova. Abbey McNally is the Knights' second leading scorer and top rebounder as the Crossroads League Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 12.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game entering Sioux City, and made a splash in the Round of 16 as she poured in a double-double. Kinnidy Garrard and Allison Bosse each average 10 or more points per game, while Tamia Perryman joins Evans as one of the key sparks off the bench, putting up nearly eight points per outing.

The Argos are averaging 66 points per game entering their matchup with the Knights, and hold a record of  25-8. Ashlee Maldonado, who scored 12 points and had eight assists in the win over Concordia, leads the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game, while center Keanna Salave'a is averaging a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds per contest. Maddy Dixon also adds to the scoring with 11 points per contest. On the season Providence is shooting 28.6 percent from three point territory and 42 percent from the field, both marks being 10 percentage points lower than Marian. 

MILESTONE TRACKER
Kinnidy Garrard is pacing 1400 career points, needing just 14 points to hit the milestone entering the Quarterfinals. Bosse passed Kaylee Heban (Walters) on Thursday on the program's all-time scoring chart, and is two points from moving into 23rd all-time. Collier needs just 11 points to set the Marian single season scoring record, with Lakan Hasser-Smith currently holding the mark. Abbey McNally enters the game with the fourth-most rebounds in single season history, and with another double-figure outing could take the second-best position all-time.

WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner between the Knights and Argos will play in the NAIA National Semifinals on Monday night, with tip scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET against either Dakota State or Carroll. Marian has played Dakota State this season, while having not seen Carroll this year. Marian is 0-1 all time against Carroll College as the two matched up in an early-season tournament in the 2022 campaign, while the Knights are 2-0 all-time against Dakota State.

WATCH AND FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can tune in to the game on the NAIA YouTube channel, linked above. The live stream is now free for the remainder of the tournament. Live stats are linked above. Updates of the game will be made on the MUKnights social media pages, both on X formerly known as Twitter and Instagram.

TICKETS
Tickets are linked above and start at $17 for general admission for adults. A tournament pass starts at $60, and student passes are $10 each. The Tyson Events Center adheres to the Clear-Bag policy, and purses and backpacks will not be allowed in unless in a clear bag. 

WATCH PARTY
Fans not in Iowa to watch can join and gather in the Marian dining commons for a watch party. 

Marian and Providence will tip-off the NAIA Tournament Final Site action in Sioux City in the Quarterfinal Round at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

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