From HBCU Shock to NCAA Opportunity
Just days after suffering one of the most surprising upsets of the HBCU postseason, Edward Waters University women’s basketball received the news that confirms what this season has truly been about. History.
The Lady Tigers are officially headed to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament. This marks the first NCAA postseason appearance in program history since Edward Waters transitioned from the NAIA to Division II competition.
For a program that only recently joined the NCAA ranks, the moment represents another milestone in what has already become one of the most remarkable runs in HBCU basketball this season.
From Shocking SIAC Exit to National Opportunity
The SIAC Tournament delivered the kind of chaos that makes March basketball legendary.
Edward Waters entered the conference tournament riding a 14-game winning streak and ranked No. 22 nationally in the WBCA poll. The Lady Tigers were widely viewed as a favorite to capture the SIAC championship.
Instead, Albany State stunned the top seed in the quarterfinals with an 80–49 victory, jumping out early and never relinquishing control.
The Golden Rams dominated the game from the opening quarter. Albany built a 21–8 lead and stretched it to 37–21 by halftime. Edward Waters — the nation’s top scoring defense — never found its rhythm offensively.
The Lady Tigers shot just 20 percent from the field and 10.5 percent from three, while Albany State controlled the glass with a commanding 59–36 rebounding advantage.
It was the type of March Madness shocker that instantly reshapes a tournament bracket.
But it didn’t erase what Edward Waters has accomplished this season.
The First NCAA Tournament in Program History
Despite the upset, Edward Waters’ body of work proved too strong to ignore.
The Lady Tigers were selected as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Division II South Regional. They will face the No. 1 seed and host Alabama Huntsville in the opening round at Spragins Hall in Huntsville, Alabama.
The selection marks another historic first for the HBCU program during its NCAA era.
Edward Waters enters the tournament with a 24–5 overall record and a 21–3 mark in SIAC play. The Lady Tigers also captured the SIAC East Division title while setting a new program record for single-season victories.
More importantly, the postseason bid confirms that the Tigers’ breakthrough season was about more than one tournament game.
Defense That Made History
Edward Waters University built its historic run around one defining identity: defense.
For much of the season, the Lady Tigers ranked as the top defensive team in NCAA Division II, allowing just over 50 points per game.
Opponents shot only 32 percent from the field, one of the best marks in the country. Even more remarkably, teams connected on just 22.5 percent from three-point range, the lowest percentage allowed in Division II.
That defensive dominance allowed Edward Waters to dictate tempo in nearly every game it played.
The approach helped power the Lady Tigers to a 14-game winning streak late in the season. A streak that vaulted them into the regional rankings and onto the national radar.
Individual Honors Reflect Team Success
Edward Waters’ rise has also been fueled by standout individual performances.
Point guard Imani Harris earned First Team All-SIAC honors and was named SIAC Newcomer of the Year after orchestrating the Lady Tigers’ offense throughout the season.
Teammates Tan Brown and Shcira Fowles both earned All-SIAC Second Team selections.
Meanwhile, head coach Eric Jackson Jr. was named SIAC Coach of the Year. A significant recognition for the architect behind one of the fastest program turnarounds in Division II basketball.
A Historic Run Still Unfolding
Edward Waters’ journey to this moment has been remarkably quick.
In 2021, the HBCU officially transitioned from the NAIA to NCAA Division II membership in the SIAC, returning to a conference it last competed in during the early 1930s.
Just a few years later, the Lady Tigers are not only competing in the NCAA. They are making history in it.
This season alone has already produced multiple milestones. Edward Waters earned its first NCAA regional ranking, captured the SIAC East Division title, and set a new program record for wins in a single season. The Lady Tigers also secured the HBCU program’s first NCAA Division II tournament appearance.
Even the SIAC tournament upset now reads less like a collapse and more like a reminder of what makes March basketball unpredictable.
Now the National Stage Awaits
Next up is the biggest stage the program has ever seen.
Edward Waters University will face Alabama Huntsville, the region’s top seed and NCAA Tournament host, in the opening round of the South Regional.
It will be the first meeting between the two women’s basketball programs, and the biggest game in the young NCAA history of Edward Waters women’s basketball.
But for an HBCU that has already shattered expectations throughout the season, the Lady Tigers are no strangers to rewriting history.
And their historic run isn’t finished yet.