LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – After winning a SCAC championship in its first year in the league followed by the school's first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, Texas Lutheran University will attempt to defend its conference crown as the league's top six teams descend upon Irving, Texas and the campus of the University of Dallas for the 13th annual Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament. Official Tournament Website | Women's Bracket

Three teams tied atop the SCAC standings with Southwestern University, Texas Lutheran and Trinity University all finishing with an 11-3 regular season conference mark. After working through the league's seeding tiebreakers, Southwestern and TLU were tabbed the first and second seeds, respectively, and both will receive first-round byes.

Southwestern enters as the top seed after finishing the 2015 season with an overall record of 13-12 (11-3 in SCAC play) as well as earning a share of the SCAC regular season title with both Texas Lutheran and Trinity. Since joining the SCAC prior to the 1994-95 season, this marks the program's first-ever regular season women's basketball title and its also the first time the Pirates have been the tournament's overall No. 1 seed (The Pirates were the top-seed from the West Division in 2011-12 when divisional play was used to seed teams). Playing as the No. 3 seed a year ago, Southwestern was upset by sixth-seeded Dallas in the tournament quarterfinals. Leading the way for this year's squad is senior Jordan Owens, a third team All-SCAC selection last season, who is averaging 16.8 points per game (second in the SCAC). Fellow senior Annie Bourne, who recently became the SCAC's all-time career rebound leader, is averaging 11.1 points and a league-high 12.5 rebounds per game. Her 313 total rebounds are the third-most for a single-season in conference history. Senior Valerie Logan has run the Pirate offense to perfection all year long, averaging 4.7 assists per game (second in SCAC), which has contributed to Southwestern leading the SCAC in field goal percentage at 40.4 percent. With the top seed, the Pirates earn a first round bye in this year's tournament and will take on the winner of Schreiner University and the University of Dallas in Saturday's first semifinal contest at 1 p.m.

Texas Lutheran University, the defending SCAC champions, enter the 2015 tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing the season with an overall record of 16-8; 11-3 in the SCAC. The Bulldogs earned a share of the SCAC regular season title along with Southwestern and Trinity after winning the regular season title outright as well as the tournament title a season ago. In last year's tournament run, the Bulldogs swept past Centenary College and Schreiner to set up what turned into an epic championship game with Trinity. In that title game, Karisa Cantu hit the game-winning shot in the waning seconds to propell TLU to its first-ever women's basketball conference title. Now a senior, Cantu is averaging 12.3 points (seventh in the SCAC) and 4.3 assists per game (fourth in the SCAC), and gets plenty of scoring help this season from junior Taylor Dydalewicz. A three-time SCAC Player-of-the-Week this season, Dydalewicz  is leading the SCAC at 17.9 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent from the field (seventh in the SCAC) and 79.9 percent from the line (fourth in the SCAC). Sophomore Kristen Lye is the top rebounder on the team at 7.4 boards per game (fourth in the SCAC) while chipping in with 9.7 points per game, while sophomore Savannah Hight provides 9.5 points per game off the bench for the Bulldogs. Texas Lutheran leads the SCAC in scoring offense at 72.7 points per game and holds opponents to just 37.0 percent shooting from the field (second in the SCAC). As the No. 2 seed, the Bulldogs earned a bye and will take on the winner of the Trinity and Austin College game in Saturday's second semifinal at 3 p.m.

Despite sharing the conference regular season title, Trinity University (19-5 overall; 11-3 in the SCAC) missed out on one of the two first-round byes after slipping to the No. 3 seed following the application of the conference's seeding tiebreakers. In the 2014 tournament, Trinity entered as the No. 2 seed and earned its way into the title game after victories over Colorado College and the University of Dallas. The championship game ended in heartbreaking fashion for the Tigers as Texas Lutheran prevailed 54-52 on a final possesion buzzer-beater. After leading the conference in scoring a year ago, Trinity is making its mark on the defensive side of the floor this season, holding opponents to just 51.9 points per game which is tops in the SCAC and 29th among all Division III teams. Reigning SCAC Player of the Year junior Anecia Richardson leads the Tigers with 13.7 points (fourth in the SCAC) and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 54.5 percent from the field (second in the SCAC). Senior Hannah Coley, who missed eight games due to injury, is back and averages 10.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Senior Lauren Splawn is third on teh team in scoring at 8.7 points per game and junior Bryony Harris is second on the team in rebounding at 4.9 boards per game. Trinity will face sixth-seeded Austin College in tournament's second quarterfinal (scheduled tip at 3 p.m.) - an opponent the Tigers swept in their home and home regular season series. Trinity defeated Austin College 64-48 on Jan. 9 in Sherman and picked up the 74-68 home victory on Feb. 13. The Trinity/Austin College winner will face off against defending SCAC champion Texas Lutheran in Saturday's second semifinal.

Schreiner University enters the 2015 SCAC tournament as the No. 4 seed after posting an overall record of 11-12 overall and 9-5 in conference action. The Mountaineers were the No. 5 seed at last year's conference tournament and took down No. 4 Austin College 75-63 in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Texas Lutheran the following day. This year's Schreiner squad has proven to be stingy on the defensive side of the ball, allowing just 59.3 points per game (second in the SCAC) while holding opponents to 37.2 percent shooting from the field (second in the SCAC). The starting rotation for head coach Temaine Wright has been ever evolving as thirteen of different players have made at least one start for the Mountaineers this season. Junior Kelsie Jackson leads the team with 12.3 points per game (ninth in the SCAC), while fellow junior Brooke Sanders (9.7 ppg) and sophomore Saby Fennell (9.5 ppg) are just behind in the scoring column. Jackson is also the team leader in rebounding (6.4 rpg - 10th in the SCAC) and steals (1.3 spg). Fennell pulls down 4.6 boards per contest while Sanders averages 3.8. The Mountaineers will take on fifth-seeded University of Dallas in Friday's first women's quarterfinal, which will be the opening contest of the tournament and is scheduled to tip at 1 p.m. In the previous two meetings between the programs this season, Schreiner earned the series sweep - defeating Dallas 69-66 in Irving on Jan. 9 and 72-65 on Feb. 13 in Kerrville. Friday's winner will take on top-seeded Southwestern University in Saturday's first semifinal game.

The University of Dallas women's basketball team earned the fifth seed entering the 2015 SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament after posting a record of 14-11 overall and 7-7 in SCAC play. In last year's SCAC tournament, the sixth-seeded Crusaders shocked third-seeded Southwestern, 66-58, and then gave second-seeded Trinity all it could handle in the semifinals before falling 60-54. Second in the league in scoring at 72.0 points per game, the 2014-15 Dallas squad possesses a balanced attack with senior guard Marleyna Bustamante (12.1 ppg), senior forward Brooke Hagemann (11.8 ppg) and freshman forward Michelle DeCoud (11.0 ppg) each averaging over 11 points per game. Additionally, DeCoud leads the team in rebounding (7.9 boards per contest – third in the SCAC) and field goal percentage (46.7 percent – fifth in the SCAC) and Bustamante (2.0 spg – fourth in the SCAC) and Hagemann (1.9 spg – sixth in the SCAC) are both among the league leaders in steals. Sophomore guard Sammi Tso leads the conference in three-point field goal percentage (41.5 percent). Dallas will face off against fourth-seeded Schreiner University in Friday's first quarterfinal matchup. UD lost twice to the Mountaineers during the regular season, albeit, in two close contests. The Crusaders dropped a 69-66 decision at home on January 9 and fell 72-65 at Schreiner on February 13. In its two previous SCAC tournament appearances (2013 and 2014), Dallas is 2-0 in quarterfinal play, having pulled the "seed" upset in both contests. The winner of the #4/#5 match-up will move on to face top-seeded Southwestern University on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Austin College women enter this year's SCAC Tournament as the sixth-seed with a conference mark of 5-9 and an overall record of 10-14. The 'Roos dropped a quarterfinal match to Schreiner in last year's tournament, but did advance to the semifinals in 2013. Senior guard Christine Kime leads Austin College with 13.0 points per game (fifth in the SCAC) while senior forward Erin Riley (10.6 ppg) and junior forward Brianna Harvey (10.5 ppg) are both averaging in double digits. Riley is leading the squad in rebounding (6.7 rpg – fifth in the SCAC) while Kime tops the 'Roos in assists (4.4 apg – third in the SCAC). Harvey leads both team and the league in field goal percentage at 55.7 percent. Austin College leads the conference in free throw percentage (74.7 percent) with Kime and Harvey currently 1-2 in the league at 89.2 and 88.2 percent, respectively. Austin College will face third-seeded Trinity University in Friday's second quarterfinal game, a team it lost to twice during the 2014-15 regular season. The 'Roos dropped a 64-48 decision on January 9 in Sherman and then fell 74-68 to Trinity on February 13. The two have never faced each other in SCAC tournament play. The winner of Friday's #3/#6 matchup will take on second-seeded Texas Lutheran University in Saturday's second semifinal at 3 p.m.

Tournament action gets underway on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. CT. The entire tournament schedule is listed below.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27
SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament - hosted by the University of Dallas
Game 1 - No. 4 Schreiner University vs. No. 5 University of Dallas - 1 p.m.
Game 2 - No. 3 Trinity University vs. No. 6 Austin College - 3 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28
SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament - hosted by the University of Dallas
Game 3 - No. 1 Southwestern University vs. Game 1 Winner - 1 p.m.
Game 4 - No. 2 Texas Lutheran University vs. Game 2 Winner - 3 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 1
SCAC Women's Basketball Tournament - hosted by the University of Dallas
Game 5 - Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner – Noon

PAST SCAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
2014 - Texas Lutheran University (MVP - Karisa Cantu, Texas Lutheran)
2013 - Trinity University (MVP - Libby Kruse, Trinity)
2012 - Centre College (MVP - Maggie Prewitt, Centre)
2011 - DePauw University (MVP - Katie Mathews, DePauw)
2010 - DePauw University (MVP - Jenna Fernandez, DePauw)
2009 - Oglethorpe University (MVP - Tina Grace, Oglethorpe)
2008 - DePauw University (MVP - Gretchen Haehl, DePauw)
2007 - DePauw University (MVP - Liz Bondi, DePauw)
2006 - DePauw University (MVP - Liz Bondi, DePauw)
2005 - Trinity University (MVP - Tara Rohde, Trinity)
2004 - DePauw University (MVP - Sarah Zondor, DePauw)
2003 - Trinity University (MVP - Melissa Carl, Trinity) 

*The SCAC did not conduct a postseason basketball tournament prior to the 2002-2003 season; the league champion was determined by regular season finish.