By Jacob Knabel, Concordia (Neb.) Sports Information Director

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – (Box Score - Bracket) Though inexperienced on the national stage, seniors Alex Kneeland and Raquel Sutera played like the seasoned vets they are in powering third-seeded Mount Marty’s (S.D.) second ever win at the national championships. A first team all-Great Plains Athletic Conference choice, Kneeland mounted a game high 34 points as the Lancers pulled a pulse pounder out of the fire, 73-69, over Purdue Calumet (Ind.) on Thursday night.

In front of a large cheering section, head coach Tom Schlimgen’s program advanced to the second round of the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championships for the first time since 2007. The Lancers improved to 23-10 overall. On the flip side, Tom Megys’ Peregrines slipped to 22-9 this season following their third appearance at the tournament.

Kneeland’s night was summed up by a mid-fourth quarter triple that hit the front of the rim, bounced up and went down to edge the Lancers in front in a seesaw battle. She also drove for a crucial left-handed layup in crunch time and then secured a key defensive board in the final seconds. The star senior tallied nine of the Lancers’ final 11 points on the night.

Kneeland and company had to sweat it out until the final buzzer. Purdue Calumet had life with just under a minute to go when Darien Thompson’s trey cut the Mount Marty lead to 71-69. It wound up being the final field goal of the game. The Peregrines misfired on their final three shot attempts and the Lancers celebrated the second national tournament win in school history.

Purdue Calumet relied on three starters that each played all 40 minutes to carry the load. Thompson (25), Cassidy Deno (23) and Katie Wampler (15) combined for 63 of the team’s 69 points. Michaela Kirkendall came off the bench to account for the other half dozen.

While Kneeland and Sutera (14 points) provided the bulk of the Mount Marty offense, the Lancers overcame their 33.8 percent shooting (12-for-40 from 3-point range) by tracking down 18 offensive rebounds – five apiece from Cassidy Gebhart and Kellie Winckler. Second-chance points were 14-6 in the Lancers’ favor.

In 2007 Mount Marty topped Bryan (Tenn.), 63-49, in the first round of the national championships. The Lancers now get set to take on either second-seeded College of the Ozarks (Mo.) (27-4) or seventh-seeded Friends (Kan.) (22-10) at 8:45 p.m. CT on Friday.