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PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Holy Family University women's basketball team is going to the Division II NCAA tournament. The Tigers will play Assumption University in the first round on Friday night in New Haven, Connecticut.

Holy Family's 27-4 record earned the Tigers an at-large berth into the tournament. This is the second straight year Holy Family has made the field and the 14th time overall in program history.

The Tigers' calling card is defense — Holy Family allows just 51 points a game and holds opponents to 34% shooting from the field. Assumption is 20-7. Head coach Bernadette Laukaitis noted that the Greyhounds bring a lot to the table.

"They have a lot of length," she said. "They have really strong players inside as well as some really good ball-handling guards."

Holy Family's leading scorer is senior Taylor Hinkle (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South). The Central Bucks South High School product actually averages a double-double, pouring in 14.4 points a game while pulling down 12.2 rebounds a contest. Laukaitis said she is a special player.

"That girl has just really cemented herself not only at Holy Family University but within the [Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference] and in the region," she said. "One thousand-point scorer, 1,000-rebound specialist, 'double-double queen,' we call her. But everything she brings, both on and off the court — her energy, her effort — just really solidifies what a Holy Family player is."

Holy Family and Assumption met during the regular season, with Assumption capturing a 58-54 overtime decision in Northeast Philly back on Nov. 22. These two teams also met in the first round of last year's NCAA tournament, with Holy Family picking up a 67-53 win en route to an appearance in the Sweet 16.
Friday night's game is slated to tip off at 7:30 p.m.