With the Saint Louis University men sitting on pins and needles, hoping for half the country to lose games or maybe leak an Addidas tape, the SLU women begin their quest for dancing and advancing Friday night against Richmond on ESPN+. SLU is the #3 seed; Richmond #6. They met once this year back on Valentine’s Day with SLU prevailing 62-57.

Both are coached by Iowa grads — SLU’s Lisa Stone graduated in 1984 and Richmond’s Aaron Rousell in 2001 — and rely primarily on their defense. They are nos 23 (SLU) and 24 (Richmond) in the country in Blocked Shots per Game and are also both among the leaders in Field Goal Percentage Defense; SLU #11, Richmond #27. SLU’s main advantage appears to be on the glass as the Billikens are #5 in Defensive Rebounds per Game. (Yes, I too wish the NCAA provided tempo-free statistics for the women’s game, but here we are).

Looking at the Game Score Per 40 of SLU down below (numbers from the last meeting with Richmond in blue) a few things stand out.

1. How lucky we are as Billikens fans, so quickly after Sadie Stipanovich and Jackie Kemph formed a historically great tandem, to have Brooke Flowers and Ciaja Harbison come in almost right after.
2. How incredibly consistent most of these women are, compared to the men. Ciaja Harbison, Myriama Smith Traore, and Brooke Flowers all bring it game-after-game and have for quite some time now.
3. Flowers and Harbison had particularly good games last time out against Richmond while almost all were only a short distance from their usual production rate.

SLU lost in the semifinal last year as #4 seed to nemesis Dayton.