by Tournament host and No. 2 seed Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) won the 2025 Continental Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship, defeating top seed Northern New Mexico College 57-52 in Sunday evening’s tournament championship game in Lawrence, Kansas.
Haskell Indian Nations will now represent the CAC in the NAIA championship tournament, beginning March 14 at first-round sites throughout the country.
The title game was a defensive battle with the largest lead being just eight points.
Northern New Mexico took a 14-8 advantage after a 3-point field goal by Gillian Roybal with 1:54 left in the first quarter. The Eagles led by seven points, at 17-10, after the opening 10 minutes and stretched the margin to 20-12 after a 3-pointer by Miranda Salazar with 8:35 remaining in the first half.
Haskell Indian Nations used a 12-4 run over the next six minutes to tie the contest at 24-24 following a layup by Payton Tahahawah.
The teams went into the halftime locker room squared at 28-28 and the third quarter featured both teams making offensive runs. Northern New Mexico jumped out to a 41-33 advantage after Shaela Carrillo made a 3-pointer at the 3:29 mark. HINU responded with the next five points to close out the quarter before scoring the first 10 points of the final 10-minute stanza.
Wakiyan Irving gave the tournament hosts a 48-41 lead after making a layup with 6:11 left.
NNMC would not go quietly as a layup by Maesyn Lopez with 21 seconds left brought the Eagles within three points, at 53-50. But Haskell Indian Nations would secure the title by making all four of its free throw attempts down the stretch.
Irving paced the victors with a game-high 20 points. Tierzah Penn chipped in 11 points off the bench and Myona Dauphinais scored 10 points.
Northern New Mexico was led by Briana Marquez’s 17 points.
2025 Continental Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team
Most Outstanding Player: Myona Dauphinais, Haskell Indian Nations University
Mahpiya Irving, Haskell Indian Nations University
Tierzah Penn, Haskell Indian Nations University
Briana Marquez, Northern New Mexico College
Miranda Salazar, Northern New Mexico College
Destiny Middleton, Spartanburg Methodist College
Isabela Lujan-Gonzales, Washington Adventist University
