The 5th-seeded Lady Rams battled in a second-round matchup against the 14th-seeded Lady Lions of Vanguard in a 78-70 victory in the NAIA National Championship Tournament, sending them to the final site in Sioux City, IA. This is the first time in program history that the Lady Rams have advanced to the Round of 16.

Much like Game 1 of the tournament at Rapides Parish Coliseum, both teams traded points early. The Lady Rams took a quick 7-0 lead to start the game, but the Lady Lions inched their way back to a 10-10 tie before taking their first lead, 17-16, to conclude the first quarter.

The next quarter was no different as both teams continued to go on small scoring runs. The Lady Rams trailed most of the second quarter as the Lady Lions were able to maintain a small lead as the quarter wound down. Going into halftime, the Lady Lions led 34-32 — but fell victim to a defensive onslaught at the beginning of the third period.

What started off as a game of spurts morphed into an impressive defensive performance by the Lady Rams. The small lead that the Lady Lions held evaporated as the Lady Rams opened with an 8-0 run to take a 40-34 lead, aided by a pair of layups from senior guard Kertisa Amos.

Vanguard called timeout immediately, but the Lady Rams continued to put pressure on their opponents. The Lady Rams scored the next 10 points, amounting to an 18-12 run that had the Lady Lions at a significant deficit going into the final quarter. Texas Wesleyan's press forced Vanguard into 17 turnovers, which the Lady Rams converted into 25 points.

The Lady Lions did their best to fight back in the final quarter, as the Lady Rams provided opportunities for the Lions to keep the game within their reach, but they were unable to stop the Lady Rams as they continued their impressive second-half performance. Vanguard ran out of time and the Lady Rams took the win from the Lady Lions 78-70, moving on to the Round of 16.

Zarria Carter led all players with 22 points and 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Taryn Willis added 20 points and Kertisa Amos finished with 17 points.

The Lady Rams will be back in action Monday, March 13 in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 in Sioux City, IA, facing off against the Central Methodist Eagles. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. at the Tyson Events Center.