SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Arkansas Tech will begin play in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday, as the Golden Suns take on Northern State in Sioux Falls, S.D. at 8 p.m. The fourth-seeded Suns are in the tournament for the fourth straight season under Coach Dave Wilbers.  
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Live audio, video and statistics for Friday's game are available at www.arkansastechsports.com. The game will be carried live on 102.3-FM (KCJC) in Russellville with Sam Strasner calling the play-by-play.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
Arkansas Tech and Northern State have only played each other one time, Tech won that meeting, defeating Northern State 73-66 on Nov. 5, 1999.
 
Arkansas Tech's last NCAA Tournament win came in the 2015-16 season, when the Suns defeated Missouri Western 81-80 in the opening round on Mar. 11, 2016. Tech later fell 91-80 in overtime to Pittsburg State in the Central Region semifinals. Last season, the Golden Suns were defeated 59-46 by Harding in the first round of the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN SUNS
Arkansas Tech (26-3, 19-3 GAC) received the Great American Conference's automatic bid to the tournament after defeating Harding 63-62 in the GAC Championships.
 
The Golden Suns are led by senior Cheyenne North. North is averaging 11.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.9 blocks per contest this season. During the GAC Tournament North averaged 21.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.0 blocks and 4.7 assists on her way to being named the Tournament MVP. She scored a career-high 35 points in the semifinal game against Henderson State.
 
Kylie Ladd and Lyrik Williams joined North on the All-Tournament Team. Ladd averaged 10.0 points for the week and Williams averaged 11.0 points and 8.7 rebounds at the tournament.

SCOUTING THE WOLVES
Before falling 57-44 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament quarterfinals, Northern State (25-5, 19-3 NSIC) was riding a ten-game winning streak. The Wolves earned the fifth seed in the Central Region after finishing as Co-champions of the North Division of NSIC conference.
 
The Wolves boast the best rebounding-margin in Division II, out rebounding their opponents by 13.4 rebounds per game. Northern State also ranks as the fourth best passing team in the country as they are ranked fourth in the country in assists (574), assists per game (19.1) and assists/turnover ratio (1.47). NSU also led the NSIC conference in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from behind the arc.
 
Miranda Ristau, the NSIC Player of the Year, paces the Northern State with 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Ristau has reached double figures in scoring in her last 17 games for the Wolves, including a career-high 35 points against St. Cloud State on Feb. 17. Jill Conrad, a NSIC First-Team selection, averages 11.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Conrad scored a season-high 20 points against Minnesota Duluth on Feb. 16.