Two-seed Central Methodist (Mo.) avenged a 2017 second-round loss to three-seed Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) by topping the Blue Raiders 88-73 in the 2018 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship.

Just a year ago, these same teams faced each other in the second round and CMU’s season was cut short. CMU’s Ana Borges only scored two points in 2017, but Borges helped reverse the Eagles fortunes in 2018 as she scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

She combined with teammates DaJonee Hale’s 31 points and Zhara Laster’s 12 points, 13 rebound double-double to fend off LWC star forward Kayla Styles, who scored a tournament-high 37 points along with nine rebounds and four steals.

Styles and Regan Turner, 16 points and four assists, lead the way for the Blue Raiders.

Lindsey Wilson held a brief one-point lead halfway through the second frame only to see CMU go on a 10-0 run.

After the Eagles stretched the lead to 12 late in the third quarter, Lindsay-Wilson got to work, whittling the lead down to seven early in the final frame. The Eagles, however, went on a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 16 and maintained the lead from there.

Central Methodist advances to the quarterfinals for the first time and will play one-seed Freed-Hardeman on Saturday at 4:00 p.m.

Story and photo/courtesy NAIA