SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University women's basketball team will travel to West Virginia for the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, hosted by Glenville State University. All games will take place inside Glenville State's Waco Center.
 
Glenville's tournament central page contains links to live video, live stats and more and is available at:
https://gstatepioneers.com/sports/2019/3/11/ncaa-dii-atlantic-regional-tournament.aspx
 
The national tournament is comprised of 64 teams (eight regions of eight teams) vying for eight spots in the NCAA Division II Women's Elite Eight, which will be hosted by Missouri Western State University and the St. Joseph Sports Commission in Missouri on March 20 and 22. This year, the NCAA Division II National Championship Game will be held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four and will take place April 1 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center.
 
Shippensburg (24-6), the Atlantic Region's No. 4 seed, will face No. 5 seed West Virginia State (22-6) at 7:30 p.m. Friday – the fourth and final game of the tournament's first day. The winner will face either No. 1 seed and host Glenville State or No. 8 seed Elizabeth City State in the regional semifinals on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 
Shippensburg last tournament run was during the 2016-17 season when it fell to Mercyhurst in the first round, 63-51. This year's appearance will be its 10th time appearing in the National Tournament. The Raiders have posted an 11-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, last posting a NCAA Tournament victory on Mar. 21, 2001 against Delta State in the NCAA Quarterfinals.
 
The Raiders have posted their best season so far since the 2016-17 season when it posted a 24-7 record. This season, Head Coach Kristy Trn recorded her 400th career win and added another season with 20 or more wins. SU closed out the regular season as Co-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division Champions with No. 3 seed West Chester, winning 18 of 22 PSAC East games. In the PSAC Semifinals, the Raiders fell to No. 1 West seed Gannon (No. 2 seed in the Region), 82-73.
 
ARIEL JONES SUCCESS 
This season, Ariel Jones has cemented herself as one of the top scorers in NCAA women's basketball history. Her 2,766 total points rank fifth all-time in the history of NCAA Division II. This season alone, Jones has broken the all-time PSAC single-game scoring record (51 points), the PSAC career scoring record (2,766 points and counting), the NCAA Division II career free-throws made Record (841 and counting) and the PSAC single-season scoring record with 755 points.
 
She currently ranks second in the nation in points per game (25.2) and in free-throws made (190) and leads the nation in field-goal attempts (637). She enters the postseason leading the PSAC in scoring, field goals, free-throws and steals.
Jones has posted double figures in 29-of-30 games this season, including 19 games of 20 or more points and eight games of 30 or more points. Jones' 249 field goals made, 67 three-pointers, 203 rebounds and 76 steals are all season career highs.
 
With 755 points this season, Jones has become the first player in PSAC history to record four seasons of 600 or more points. She is also the fourth player in PSAC history to have 700 or more points in a season. Jones was also recognized nine times this season as a PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week, the most by any Shippensburg athlete in a season and career. She has totaled 20 Athlete of the Week awards in her career.
 
ARIEL GETS TO THE LINE
Among the many records Jones has also broken this season is the all-time NCAA Division II record for career free throws made – she's at 841 and counting. This season, Jones ranks second in the nation in free throws made (190) and second in the nation in free-throw attempts (232).
 
Overall in her career, Jones is an incredible 841-1036 at the free-throw line, which results in a 81.2 free-throw percentage.
 
SHIP GETS TO THE LINE TOO
Shippensburg ranks third in the nation in free throws made (16.93) and sixth in the nation in free-throw attempts.
 
SHIP VS WVSU HISTORY
West Virginia State has a 2-1 head-to-head record against the Raiders. The last time the Yellow Jackets faced the Raiders was Dec. 29, 2009 when it defeated SU, 87-81. During that game Lauren Beckley '09 recorded her 2,000th career point and became the ninth player in PSAC history with 2,000 career points. The last time the Raiders won against the Yellow Jacket was two years prior when they defeated WVSU, 74-61 on Dec. 30, 2007.
 
SHIP TIES TO WVSU – ASSISTANT COACH DAVE SMITH
Shippensburg assistant coach Dave Smith concluded his 34-year head coaching career (628-334 overall record) with four seasons as the head women's basketball coach at West Virginia State (2012-13 – 2015-16). In his four years at WVSU, the Yellowjackets posted a 53-63 record.
 
SHIP SEEKS FIRST NCAA TOURNAMENT WIN IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES
Shippensburg has not passed the first round of the NCAA Tournament since the 2000-01 season when they defeated Delta State in the Quarterfinals of the Elite Eight, 70-65. The same 2000-01 team went all the way to the NCAA Final Four. The Raiders have had success during the NCAA Tournament, dating back to the NCAA Championship game appearance in 1996 and the NCAA Elite Eight in 1998 under assistant coach Dave Smith.
 
SCOUTING WVSU
West Virginia State is a high-volume, quick shooting team that substitutes at a high volume due to the pace at which it plays. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation in scoring offense (91.5) and rebounding (51.3) while ranking second in the nation in opponent turnovers (26.9), and they are ranked among the Top 10 in the nation in assists per game (17.6), free throws made (16.4), steals per game (15.5). WVSU broke a school record as a team with single-game points (124) and rebounds (73) against Davis & Elkins this season and steals (29) against Alderson Broaddus.
The WVSU team has three All-MEC honorees including Anysa Jordan, Destiny Fields and Shelby Harmeyer. Jordan leads the team with an average of 13.9 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game. Fields is right by Jordan averaging 13.7 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Harmeyer is the Yellow Jackets' three-point sharp shooter with 75 three-pointers this season and averages 11.9 points per game.
 
Head Coach Charles Marshall is a veteran of the Mountain East Conference (MEC). He is in his sixth season coaching the Yellowjackets after taking over for Smith following the 2015-16 season. Marshall also spent three seasons as the head coach at Glenville State – the host of this year's regional tournament.