Stillman, Philander Smith off to NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship Opening Round
NEW ORLEANS - March 8, 2025 - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the Opening Round site and first round matchups for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) regular season champion Stillman College and the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Champions Philander Smith University University during its selection show Thursday evening.
The Tigers earned the No. 11 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will play No. 6 seed University of Rio Grande (Ohio) in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The Lady Panthers earned the No. 16 seed in the Liston Quadrant and will face No. 1 seed Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind.
The first round games will be on March 14. The winners will play on March 15 for a chance to advance to the final site at the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Stillman's game is scheduled for 3 p.m. Game times are to be announced for Philander Smith's site. as of press time. All games will stream on the NAIA Channel on the Urban Edge Network or naianetwork.com. For the first time, the games will be free to watch.
Stillman (25-5) dominated HBCUAC play with a 17-1 record, only losing to Wiley University, which finished runner-up in the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship. The Tigers split their games in the tournament with a 54-50 quarterfinals victory over Talladega College and a 62-50 loss to Philander Smith in the semifinals. They are led by Jaida Minter, who won multiple HBCUAC weekly honors and averages 12.5 points per game and earned First Team All-HBCUAC and Newcomer of the Year. Farrah Pearson and Jamariah Turner also earned weekly awards. Raena Suggs earned All-Tournament after averaging 15.5 points per game. The Tigers are making their second appearance and first since 2018, when it competed in the Division II Tournament.
Philander Smith (20-10) makes its second appearance in the last three seasons and third overall. It also qualified in 2020 but the tournament was canceled due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The Lady Panthers, who earned the No. 4 seed waltzed through the HBCUAC 2025 Hope Credit Union Basketball Championship with three of its four victories by double digits and didn't allow its opponents to score 60 points. Miracle Thomas earned 2025 HBCUAC Most Valuable Player after hitting big 3-pointers. Dasia Turner and Ashlyn Kimble claimed spots on the All-Tournament Team. Turner was also a First Team All-HBCUAC selection.
The winner between Rio Grande and Stillman will face the winner between No. 3 seed University of St. Francis (Ind.) and No. 14 seed Indiana Tech University at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Indiana Wesleyan-Philander Smith winner will face the winner of No. 8 Grand View University (Iowa) and No. 9 Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.).
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About HBCU Athletic Conference
The HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) is the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The HBCUAC membership includes Dillard University (LA), Fisk University (TN), Oakwood University (AL), Philander Smith University (AR), Rust College (MS), Southern University at New Orleans (LA), Stillman College (AL), Talladega College (AL), Tougaloo College (MS), University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Voorhees University (SC), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX). HBCUAC sponsors championships in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's track and field, women's volleyball, softball, and baseball. In 2022, the HBCUAC secured the largest media rights deal in conference and NAIA history, signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Urban Edge Network. On July 1, 2024, the conference rebranded from the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC) to the HBCU Athletic Conference, marking a new era for the conference that embodies the makeup of its membership. For more information, visit hbcuac.org.