WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Huntington University women’s basketball team is headed back to the national stage.

The Foresters learned Thursday evening they have been selected to compete in the 2026 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship First & Second Rounds, presented by Ballogy, March 13-14 as part of the McKenzie (Tenn.) bracket on the campus of Bethel University.

It marks back-to-back national tournament appearances for head coach Darby Maggard’s squad, which earned one of 29 at-large bids. Huntington enters the tournament as the No. 9 seed and will open play against No. 8 Oregon Tech on Friday inside Crisp Arena. Tip-off time to be announced. The matchup will mark the first meeting in program history between the two teams.

The (RV) Foresters carry an 18-11 record into the tournament and boast four wins over nationally ranked opponents this season. This year’s selection marks the eighth NAIA postseason appearance in program history.

(RV) Oregon Tech (19-11), entering the tournament as a member of the Cascade Conference where they finished fifth in the regular season standings with a 14-6 mark, received an at-large berth to the tourney. This will be the program’s 9th national tournament appearance, with their most recent trip coming last season.

Also competing in the McKenzie bracket are host and No. 1 seed Bethel (Tenn.) and No. 16 seed Talladega (Ala.).

The Crossroads League leads the way with seven teams qualifying for the national tournament, including Marian (#1 seed), Saint Francis (#2 seed), Spring Arbor (#6 seed), Bethel (#9 seed), Indiana Wesleyan (#10 seed) and Taylor (#12 seed) in addition to the Foresters.

The 64-team national tournament field consists of 35 automatic qualifiers and 29 at-large selections. Opening rounds will be played at 16 host sites across the country, with each site winner advancing to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa. The 16-team single-elimination championship tournament will take place March 19-24 at the Tyson Events Center.