HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Mar. 25) – And then there were two.

A field of 279 women’s basketball teams in NCAA Division II has been whittled to just Washburn (Ks.) and Seattle Pacific University, with one team to be left standing following Saturday afternoon’s national championship game.

The No. 3-ranked Falcons’ (30-2) and No. 2 Lady Blues’ (34-2) fate will be witnessed on national television, with ESPN2 airing the game from Summit Arena beginning at 2 p.m. Pacific time.

“It’s been a great and memorable experience for the players and myself, one that we’ll never forget,” said SPU coach Gordy Presnell. “Hopefully we can make more memories Saturday.”

Reaching the title game, said Presnell, added another building block to the program. Previously, the Falcons had not advanced beyond the quarterfinal stage. Only two other SPU sports–men’s soccer (5) and women’s gymnastics (3)–have won national championships.

“We’ve been building toward this, going a step further each of the last two years,” Presnell said. “Winning that first game took us to a new level, and now we’re playing for the national championship.”

Although associated with an up-tempo, high-scoring offense, Seattle Pacific has gotten downright defensive at the Elite Eight. Grand Valley State and Merrimack managed to shoot a combined 31 percent and were held to 59.5 points.

Offensively, the Falcons are due for a better day. Their 27-percent shooting vs. Merrimack was the worst in 11 years. They rank among the nation’s top 20 teams for the season, shooting 45 percent or higher 18 times. Marksmanship from the foul line in that game was near-perfect, however. They converted a school-record 93 percent (26 of 28).

In many ways, SPU and Washburn are mirror images of one another: balanced, deep and strong on the boards.

“They’ve got great balance and talent at every position,” said Presnell. “They’ve got great wins, at Kansas and at Drury. We’ve got our hands full, but they have to stop us too.”

Washburn coach Rod McHenry noted that his strategy cannot focus on any particular Falcon.

“They have a significant post presence; you don’t see too many 6-4 players,” said McHenry, referring to Brittney Kroon. “They also have two very good guards (Amy Taylor and Mandy Wood).”

Kroon blocked eight Merrimack shots in Thursday’s 73-64 semifinal win, and she has averaged 5.8 rejections in her last six games. She will be pitted against the Lady Blues’ Brazilian standout Carla Sintra. Washburn’s top scorer Jennifer Harris is questionable with a back injury.