vs. #19 Pittsburg State (Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. ET): Watch | Listen | Live Stats | Elite Eight Media Guide

After a magical run through the Midwest Region Tournament in Ashland, Ohio on Mar. 11-14, the Grand Valley State women's basketball team earned the third NCAA Elite Eight berth in program history. The Lakers look to continue their remarkable journey on Tuesday night (Mar. 22) in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as GVSU takes on #19 Pittsburg State at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Grand Valley State was the lower-seeded team in all three games at the Midwest Region Tournament, as the seventh-seeded Lakers upset second-seed Lewis, sixth-seeded Saginaw Valley State, and fourth-seed Drury to capture the program's third regional championship and first since 2005-06.

Pittsburg State - from Pittsburg, Kansas - was the second seed (and the host school) in the Central Region Tournament, topping seventh-seed Sioux Falls, sixth-seeded Arkansas Tech, and first-seed/conference rival Emporia State in the title game. Emporia State topped Pittsburg State in the MIAA Tournament championship game eight days earlier before PSU exacted revenge.

The Lakers enter Tuesday night's NCAA quarterfinal with a 25-9 record, while Pittsburg State brings a 29-5 mark into the contest. It is the third all-time appearance for GVSU in the Elite Eight and the second such trip for the Gorillas.

There are links above to watch the free online webcast through NCAA.com or listen to the radio broadcast of the game, as well as a link to follow the live stats. The game will be aired on WTKG-AM 1230, with fifth year GVSU play-by-play announcer DJ Foster calling the action.

Grand Valley State is making the most of its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance, as the Lakers won three games as the underdog by a combined 11 points. Two of those regional tournament victories were over ranked opponents - #6 Lewis in the quarterfinals and #14 Drury in the championship game - and both of those victories were by two points. Pittsburg State is ranked #19 in the latest WBCA Top-25 poll, although the Lakers are a solid 3-2 against ranked opponents this season.

In the opening round of the tournament (Mar. 11), GVSU took down second-seed Lewis 72-70, when junior guard Janae Langs nailed a game-winning jumper with 3.7 seconds remaining to break a 70-70 tie. Langs finished the game with a team-high 16 points, while freshman Taylor Parmley added 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Juniors Bailey Cairnduff and Lindsay Baker each added 12 points in the win.

The Lakers faced a familiar opponent in Saturday's (Mar. 12) semifinals, squaring off with GLIAC rival Saginaw Valley State for the fourth time on the year and second meeting in a week. After dominating SVSU 76-51 in the conference semifinals, Grand Valley State used a 63-56 victory in the Midwest Region semis to advance to the championship game. GVSU held the Cardinals to just 33.3 percent shooting and received a game-high 19 points from Cairnduff, who made all four free throw tries in the final 33 seconds to seal the victory.

In the championship game on Monday night (Mar. 14), Drury got off to a quick start, scoring the game's first 10 points before the Lakers responded with 13 consecutive points to end the first quarter. GVSU led 31-19 at halftime, but the game was tied at the end of the third quarter (37-37) and fourth frame (53-53). Drury knotted the game for the 10th time at 60-60 on a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining in overtime.

From there, Langs raced up the court and drew a foul on a Drury defender with 4.1 seconds to play. She stepped to the line and drained both free throws to give GVSU a 62-60 advantage. The Panthers got a decent look at the game-tying jumper, but the shot glanced off the side of the rim and Cairnduff corralled the rebound to clinch the third Midwest Region championship in school history.

Langs provided 20 points, nine rebounds, and four steals - all of which are career-highs - en route to being named the Midwest Region Tournament Most Outstanding Player. The 5'4" junior guard averaged 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in the tournament, while committing just three turnovers in 39.7 minutes per contest.

Against Drury, Parmley posted 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench, as the Laker reserves outscored all three opponents' benches at the regional tournament. Junior forward Piper Tucker notched 11 rebounds, 10 points, and a pair of blocks in the title game, marking her second consecutive double-double. Tucker joined Langs on the five-member Midwest Region All-Tournament Team.

In the three games, Parmley averaged 13.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while Cairnduff scored 12.0 points per game and made 13-of-15 free throws. Tucker put up averages of 8.3 rebounds and 8.0 points per game and helped limit SVSU junior center Emily Wendling - the GLIAC Player of the Year - to just 5-of-17 shooting in the Lakers' semifinal victory.

Junior forward Kayla Dawson continues to lead the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game; she became the 23rd Laker in school history to reach 1,000 point earlier this season. Dawson battled through an ankle injury sustained in the conference tournament to play 36 minutes in the three regional tournament games.

Dawson was one of three GVSU players to earn All-GLIAC honors at the end of the regular season. She was voted by the conference coaches to the All-GLIAC First Team, while Tucker earned All-GLIAC Second Team plaudits. Both Dawson and junior guard Taylor Lutz were named to the 10-member GLIAC All-Defensive Team.

One common theme around the Lakers all season has been their long-range sharpshooting. Grand Valley State has knocked down 314 three-pointers this season, the third-most in all of Division II. Per game, GVSU makes an average of 9.2 triples, which is eighth-highest in the country. The Lakers' 314 trifectas shattered the schools' previous best of 218 three-pointers in the 2008-09 season.

Two of the main long-range culprits are Baker and Cairnduff. Baker is the new single-season record holder with 74 three-pointers, breaking Jasmine Padin's mark of 73 triples in 2008-09. More than just a volume shooter, Baker is connecting at 45.1 percent clip, still within reach of Erin Cyplik's single-season record 45.4 percentage in 2006-07.

Cairnduff is not far behind Baker, as the redshirt junior has made 68 shots from beyond the arc. That is the third-highest figure in GVSU history, passing recent Laker Hall of Fame inductee Erika Ryskamp, who made 67 threes in two different seasons. Cairnduff is also 59-of-65 at the free throw line for a 90.8 percentage this season. She is also averaging 11.0 points per game, the second-highest figure on the team.

After Dawson and Cairnduff, Parmley (8.9 points) and Tucker (8.3) are the next highest-scoring Lakers, followed by Baker (7.1) and Lutz (6.6). With nearly a 3-to-1 assist/turnover ratio, Lutz has tallied a team-best 124 assists this season and committed just 44 turnovers in 1,092 minutes.

Dawson, Cairnduff, Tucker, and Lutz - all juniors - have started in all 34 games this season, with Langs and senior guard Brionna Barnett each making 17 starts. The Lakers are outscoring opponents by a 15.3 scoring margin, as they are holding opponents to just 57.1 points per game and 38.2 percent shooting.

Grand Valley State - the unlikely seventh seed to advance to the Elite Eight - isn't the only Cinderella in the final field of eight teams. Francis Marion was the Southeast Region's seventh seed when it topped eighth-seeded Augusta to advance to the national quarterfinals. Interestingly, if both GVSU and Francis Marion win on Tuesday night, the two underdogs would meet in Wednesday's second semifinal.

Before the Lakers can think about Wednesday, GVSU has to deal with a Pittsburg State team that has won 18 of its last 19 games, with the only loss coming in the MIAA championship at Emporia State. The Gorillas have lost just once since Jan. 7 and went 18-4 in MIAA regular season play.

Despite a strong regular season, Pittsburg State entered the Central Region Tournament as the second seed, but Emporia State was unable to host that tournament, thus the regional was played in Pittsburg, Kansas. The Gorillas rolled over Sioux Falls 79-39 in the opening round and topped Arkansas Tech in a high-scoring contest 91-80 in the semifinals. That set up a rematch from eight days earlier against Emporia State; ESU won the MIAA title 80-66, but Pittsburg State responded with a 78-74 regional championship victory in front of nearly 2,900 fans.

6'1" senior forward Cathy Brugman was the Central Region Most Outstanding Player after pouring in 27 points and hitting all 10 free throw tries in the championship game. Brugman also notched 31 points and went a perfect 16-for-16 in the semifinal win over Arkansas Tech. She is a three-time All-MIAA selection and was an Honorable Mention all-conference choice this year, averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Brugman is shooting 90.1 percent at the line and 44.2 percent from the field.

Leading scorer Mikaela Burgess is a 5'7" sophomore guard that was named to the All-MIAA First Team this season. She joined Brugman on the Central Region All-Tournament Team. Burgess is posting 18.0 points per game on 42.7 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range, making 101-of-242 three-point attempts on the year. She also leads PSU in free throws made and attempted (121-of-142 for 85.2 percent) this season.

Kylie Gafford, a 6'2" senior forward, was tabbed the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year and was also a Central Region All-Tournament Team honoree. She was voted to the All-MIAA Second Team this season after garnering Third Team plaudits last year. Gafford leads the Gorillas with 64 blocked shots and adds 35 steals, but is also scoring 13.5 points and pulling down 5.9 rebounds per game. Gafford shoots 52.6 percent from the field and 79.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Junior guard Hadyn Herlocker was an all-conference honorable mention and not only does she lead PSU with 152 assists - as well as hitting 46 three-pointers - but Herlocker has a 3.45-to-1 assist/turnover ratio.

Pittsburg State is third in the MIAA in scoring offense (75.6 ppg.) and sixth in scoring defense (64.2 ppg.), though the Gorillas did lead the conference in free throws made (575) and percentage (.792). In fact, PSU made more free throws (575) this season than Grand Valley State even attempted (529). The Gorillas were fifth in the MIAA in rebounding margin ( 1.9) and committed the second-fewest turnovers per game (11.5).

The winner of the GVSU-Pittsburg State game plays the winner of second-seed Alaska Anchorage and seventh-seeded Francis Marion in Wednesday's second semifinal, also a 9:30 p.m. ET start. The Division II National Championship will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on April 4 at 3:00 p.m.