MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Lady Eagles tip off in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship this afternoon for the first time in three years and the first time in program history as First and Second Round hosts. They welcome Southeastern (Fla.) to Tine Davis Gymnasium and take on the Fire at 4 pm in a rematch of a November contest in Lakeland that ended in a 60-58 SEU win on an offensive foul call with four seconds left. 
 
Season Results & National History 
(RV) 11-seed Faulkner enters as an at-large berth with a 21-8 overall record and 13-4 mark to finish second in the SSAC behind Loyola despite a win over the nationally ranked Wolf Pack on Senior Day. With a win over William Carey that week on Play4Kay Night, the Lady Eagles earned their first ranked wins in two years. Faulkner earned at least one win over each SSAC foe for the first time since their SSAC title season in 2022-23, also the last time the Lady Eagles earned a national tournament berth. This is their fourth time in the national field in program history, their first under head coach Jacob Roark. Faulkner is looking for its first national tournament win since its first berth in 2013 after First Round setbacks in 2018 and 2023. 

They take on national powerhouse and 6-seed Southeastern (Fla.), who has punched its ticket to the national tournament in 11 of the last 12 seasons, its first 12 years as an NAIA member. The Fire come in with a 27-3 overall record and 15-1 mark in Sun Conference play and punched their ticket as Sun Champions of both the regular season and conference tournament. They are in their second season under head coach Joshua Epperson. Across his six years as head coach of Freed-Hardeman and SEU, he is 4-0 against Faulkner.  
 
Team Strengths 
Southeastern enters as one of the hottest offensive teams in the country. The Fire are fourth in the NAIA with 47.4% in overall shooting efficiency and second with 38% efficiency from three. The Lady Eagles are tied for eighth in the NAIA and leading the SSAC with 35.3% from three. 

Stakes 
The winner gets a matchup with either No. 3 seed Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) or No. 14 seed Williams Baptist in the Second Round of the Duer Quadrant at 4 p.m. Saturday with that winner advancing to the Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa.  
 
Series History 
The Fire leads the all-time series between the schools 3-1 and have won the last three contests, none by more than six points, after Faulkner won the first contest between the two in Lakeland in just its second game as a program in 2010. This is the first postseason meeting between the two.  
 
Coverage 
All games of the NAIA Men's and Women's NAIA Basketball Championships are streamed free of charge on the Urban Edge Network.