ST. PAUL – Let the madness commence. With arguably the most exciting week of the year for sports junkies finally here, the University of Northwestern women's basketball team (22-6) will get a chance to write its own March Madness story Wednesday, as the Eagles will open play at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament in Winona Lake, Ind. UNW's opposition will be the Lions from Emmanuel College – a Division II institution in Franklin Springs, Ga. Tip-off on the campus of Grace College is set for 7:30 a.m. (CST).

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Northwestern is coming off a dominant 71-50 victory over Judson University in the NCCAA North Central Region Tournament. Taryn Tumbleson (Sherburn, Minn./Martin County West) scored a career-high 19 points to lead the way, while Regan Cooper (Pella, Iowa/Pella) (13) and Jessica Cole (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) (10) also chipped in double-digit scoring efforts.

UNW put together a strong run in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season play, compiling a 14-2 record to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. Northwestern fell to the top-seeded University of Wisconsin-Yellowjackets in the tournament final. Amy Berglund (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) (First Team), Regan Cooper (Pella, Iowa/Pella) (Second Team) and Jessica Cole (Altoona, Iowa/Southeast Polk) (Honorable Mention) were all recognized in the conference postseason awards release.

Berglund is averaging a team-high 12.1 points per game, while shooting nearly 50 percent from the floor. For her efforts this season, she was named the NCCAA North Central Region Player of Year and selected to the first team of the release. Cooper was also a first team honoree, while junior Tiffany Stubbs (Ames, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) was named NCCAA North Central Region Honorable Mention. Head coach Aaron Kahl – now in his sixth year at the helm – was recognized for his success as he took home his second-straight North Central Region Coach of the Year award. Read more on UNW's postseason accolades here.

The Lions enter the mid-week morning showdown with a 19-11 overall mark, having most recently defeated Columbia International (77-61) and Point University (68-63) in the NCCAA South Regional Tournament to punch their ticket to Winona Lake.

Emmanuel is led by junior Elise Coberly, who is averaging a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds per outing. Fellow junior Timia Reynolds (13.1) and Mikayla Trombley (12.4) are also scoring in double figures. More information on the Lions can be found here. 

It will be the second straight year the Eagles and Lions have met in the opening round of the NCCAA Tournament.

The Eagles are guaranteed three games during their trip to the Hoosier State, playing again on Thursday and Friday/Saturday. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the happenings by visiting www.unweagles.com.