MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's basketball team returns to the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship as the No. 15 seed and will face off against No. 2 Southern Oregon at Lithia Motors Pavilion in Ashland, Ore., on Friday, March 14. Tipoff is set for 5:30pm.

The Bobcats (17-8) are in the national tournament for the fifth time in program history, first since 2022. UC Merced earned an automatic bid after winning the California Pacific Conference Tournament Championship this past weekend.

Southern Oregon is the only undefeated team in the 64-team field at 31-0.

SOU and UC Merced hold two of the three longest active winning streaks in the NAIA. UC Merced's 14-game winning streak is a program record.

UC Merced is 0-6 all-time against Southern Oregon with the most recent meeting coming earlier this season at a neutral site when the Raiders beat the Bobcats 76-52.

The winner between the Bobcats and Raiders will advance to the second round to face the winner of #7 Wayland Baptist/#10 Carroll on March 15.

UC Merced is looking for its first ever national tournament win. The Bobcats have played a No. 1 or No.  2 seed in each of the previous four appearances. In 2017, UC Merced nearly knocked off No. 1 University of St. Francis taking the top-seed to double overtime.

UC Merced is led by Cal Pac Player of the Year Nicole Lukito. Third-year head coach Kellie Bernard was named the Cal Pac Coach of the Year and Paloma Ramirez was named the Cal Pac Sixth Player of the Year.

Lukito is ranked second in the NAIA averaging 14.2 rebounds per game and is top 75 with 16.5 points per game on a 53.9 field goal percentage.

The NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship Final Site is set for March 17-March 22 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.