CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The 2017-2018 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Champion American received a No. 14 seed and will take on No. 3 UCLA on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the First Round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament. The tournament field was announced on Monday night on ESPN.

The Eagles enter the tournament with a 26-6 record after winning its second Patriot League Championship and second NCAA Tournament appearance. American is led by Patriot League Player of the Year Emily Kinneston, a senior guard who is averaging 15.8 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. Junior Cecily Carl, tournament MVP, averages 12.9 points per game and 8.3 boards per game, while leading the League in defensive rebounds with a total of 228. Carl led the Eagles to a 58-49 win over Navy on Sunday morning to claim the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Championship title with 20 points and eight boards.

The UCLA Bruins enter the tournament with a 24-7 record as they recently fell to Oregon 65-62 in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Bruins are led by Jordin Canada who is averaging 16.8 points per game to go with 3.5 assists per game and a .808 free throw percentage. Monique Billings closely follows with 15.2 points per game and 9.7 boards per game.
 
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.