WARRIORS TRAVEL TO CORNERSTONE FOR FIRST ROUND OF WHAC TOURNEY

*# indicates WHAC seed

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Playoff season has finally arrived, with #5 Rochester (14-14, 11-11) heading on the road for the first round of the 2024 WHAC Tournament, taking on #4 Cornerstone (15-12, 13-9) at Mol Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

THREE KEY THINGS

QUICK TURNAROUND

The two teams are familiar with each other, having played on Saturday in Garth Pleasant Arena, resulting in a 76-69 Golden Eagle victory. In that contest, the Warriors got off to a lethargic start before finding a spark in the third quarter to make the game competitive. Cornerstone played most of the game in a 2-3 zone defense, and while the Warriors created plenty of open looks, they couldn't convert consistently.

GOLDEN EAGLES' PAINT PRESENCE

Cornerstone's Stephanie Ainsworth has been on point all season, and showed that even more in the Saturday edition of the matchup, posting 24 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks, and four assists. The 6-3 center has frequently showcased her ability to do it all, and can punish the Warriors by running the floor on fastbreaks.

PLAYOFF ENERGY

The Warriors have shown an ability to will themselves in games where the energy is high, and the third quarter of Saturday's matchup was indicative of that; guards Imari Martin and Shahd Bakkar put heaps of pressure on CU's guards to get steal and scores, and that could serve as a difference maker on the road in front of a hostile crowd. Fastbreak points will serve as a good indicator of the victor, with both teams loving to run in transition.

COACH'S CORNER

Head Coach Jared Ocampo had this to say about the points of emphasis for the matchup:

"[We've emphasized] attention to detail and focus. We have prepped diligently for tomorrow and we have to go out and execute. We have gone through the ups and downs for this moment. We have to live by what we've been preaching all year: have faith, be disciplined, and be resilient."

SPORTS INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT

Just last season, the Warriors made a magical run to a WHAC Tournament Championship, defeating two higher-seeded teams on the road in thrilling fashion. Celeste Mershimer gave Warrior fans a preview of her fantastic 2023-24 campaign with 29 points against #RV Siena Heights in a second-round 93-83 2OT road victory.

THE FIELD

Rochester's side of the bracket features #1 Indiana Tech, who completed a 22-0 conference season. The top seed faces off with #8 Aquinas. On the other side, #2 Siena Heights hosts #7 Lawrence Tech, and #3 Concordia welcomes in #6 Lourdes.

Hussein Murray - RU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hanna Swanson - RU Athletics