By: Sam Knehans, Communications & Sports Information Intern

FRANKFORT, Ky. – (Box Score) No. 7 Bethel (Tenn.) continued its Cinderella run Friday morning, unseating No. 3 Baker (Kan.), 78-72, to advance to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship quarterfinals for the first time in program history. Bethel knocked off No. 2 The Master’s (Calif.), 82-67, in the first round Wednesday at the Frankfort Convention Center, while Baker earned its first-ever national championship win, 74-61, over No. 6 Cumberlands (Ky.).

Baker started hot, leading for the first 10 minutes by as many as eight, before the game turned into a back-and-forth battle. The first half alone featured three lead changes, with Bethel heading to the locker room up one, 29-28.

The beginning of the second half featured two more lead changes, before Bethel took the lead for good with 17 minutes remaining. The Lady Wildcats would lead by as many as 11, until a Baker run closed the gap to three with 13 seconds to go. Junior guard Porshia Blue hit the first of two free throws for the Lady Wildcats to give Bethel a two-possession lead, and a lay-in by junior forward Tayla Foster off the second missed free throw sealed the game for Bethel.

Sophomore guard Jackliann Street, who had the rebound to set up Foster’s late basket, lead all scorers with 27 points. Two of Street’s Bethel teammates recorded double-doubles in the contest: Foster (21 points, 12 rebounds) and senior forward Porsha Harris (18 points, 15 rebounds).

Heart of America Athletic Conference Player of the Year, BriAnna Garza led the way for Baker with 25 points, while sophomore center Macy Wallisch grabbed 12 rebounds and added 12 points for her fourth double-double of the season.

Baker shot better from the field (40.6 percent, 26-of-64) and from 3-point range (36.8 percent, 7-of-19) than Bethel (36.6 percent, 26-of-71) (16.7 percent, 3-of-18), but Bethel won the battle of the boards (49-48) and shot well from the free throw line (67.6 percent, 23-of-34) to seal the victory.

The Lady Wildcats of Bethel (23-10), who had lost their previous two second round games by six points each (2011, 2010), advance to their first-ever quarterfinals and will face the winner of No. 4 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) and No. 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at 2:00 p.m. EDT Saturday.

With the loss, Baker is eliminated from its first-ever national championship and ends the year with a record of 27-7.