2021 NCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship Bracket
Lubbock Christian claimed its third NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball national title as the Lady Chaps survived a late run from third-seeded Drury in a 69-59 win. LCU became the first Lone Star Conference team to win the DII championship in women's basketball.
LCU’s title run capped an undefeated season as they became just the fifth DII women’s team to win a championship and go undefeated, and just the fifth team to win two consecutive titles. They also became the first program in DII history to have multiple undefeated national championship seasons accomplishing the feat first in 2016.
The Lady Chaps were led by senior Allie Schulte who led LCU in scoring for the second straight game with 18 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting. Schulte also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Emma Middleton chipped in with her first double-double of the tournament and her third this season, with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Madelyn Turner and Ashton Duncan also hit double-digit points for LCU with 12 in the game each.
It was a quick start for LCU who found the range early and often to hit six three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes of the game. Turner and Ashton Duncan each hit a pair from long range to help put their team up by 22-12 after the first quarter.
As good as the offense was early, the LCU defense was equally impressive holding the DII Player of the Year Paige Robinson to just two points in the first quarter. Robinson finished the night with a game-high 20 points. Drury, a 48.8 percent shooting team entering the game, struggled throughout the first half managing just 35.7 percent from the floor including a 0-for-5 mark from beyond the arc.
After going in the half up by eight, the Lady Chaps continued to build on the lead creating a 13-point gap by the halfway point of the third corner thanks to a Middleton layup following a Drury turnover. The points were two of the 20 that LCU score off of Lady Panther miscues.
In the fourth quarter, a pair of Duncan free throws gave the Lady Chaps a 21-point lead as they looked poised to claim another championship.
But the Lady Panthers struck back with a 20-3 run powered by six difference DU scorers over the next 5:29 to close the deficit to just four points at 63-59.
Following an LCU timeout, Duncan drew a foul and sank both of her free throws to push the lead back out to six. Back-to-back misses by Drury turned into three LCU free throws as the Lady Chaps put the game out of reach and polished off their second undefeated national championship since 2016.
Schulte was named the 2021 Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Most Outstanding Player. LCU's Middleton also earned DII Women’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team honors.