St. Bonifacius, Minn. — The women's basketball team is the NCCAA Division II National Champion after defeating Champion Christian College 61–53.
A low‑scoring first quarter was a back‑and‑forth battle with seven lead changes. Brayli Reimer scored her 1,000th career point on her first bucket and finished the quarter with five points to lead the Polars. Champion ended the frame up 13–12.
A Brekyn Hanson layup on a Reimer assist gave the Polars the lead to start the second quarter. Champion briefly retook the lead, but a Reimer three‑pointer put Crown back on top for the rest of the half with just under six minutes remaining. Sydney Cotten scored seven points in the quarter, including going 3‑for‑4 from the free‑throw line.
The second half opened with Crown leading 32–27, but a Champion three‑pointer quickly cut the margin to one possession. Morgan Bednarek did what she could to keep the Polars in front, but Champion managed to take a one‑point lead with four minutes left in the third. Bednarek responded by scoring her sixth straight point to start an 11–1 run that closed the quarter and pushed the Polars' lead to nine heading into the final frame.
Bednarek picked up where she left off in the fourth, scoring off her own offensive rebound to give Crown an 11‑point advantage. Cotten and Reimer combined for the rest of the Polars' points in the quarter, keeping the game out of reach. Reimer's six fourth‑quarter points helped seal a 61–53 victory in the National Championship game.
Reimer finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. Cotten added 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals. Bednarek recorded another double‑double with 13 points and 11 boards.
Numerous records were broken this season, including:
Brayli Reimer: Points in a season: 448 Assists in a season: 105 Field goals made: 169 Assists in a game (tied): 10 Entered 1,000‑point club
Morgan Bednarek: Rebounds in a season: 314 Rebounding average in a season: 9.8 Free throws attempted in a season: 136 Rebounds in a game: 22
Sydney Cotten: Minutes played in a season: 1,127 Free throws made in a game: 15 Free throws attempted in a game: 17
Head Coach David Pederson captures an NCCAA DII National Championship in just his second year, and finished the UMAC season with three straight wins. The future is bright with momentum on the Polars side heading into year three under Pederson.
