Eastern Oregon University's Beverly Slater (24) goes for two during a Cascade Collegiate Conference quarterfinal game against Bushnell in La Grande on Feb. 27, 2024.

LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University women’s basketball team is making its third consecutive appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics tournament after receiving an at-large berth on March 7.

“We were on the bubble, and we knew we were on the bubble,” EOU coach Anji Weissenfluh said. “We were hoping and believing. We haven’t had four teams in our conference go for quite a while. The entire body of our work speaks for itself.”

EOU (21-7), competing in the Naismith Quadrant, will open the tournament against University of Providence (22-8) on Friday, March 15, at the McLaughlin Center in Great Falls, Montana. Game time is 4 p.m.

The Argos, who are on a five-game win streak, are coming off a 75-66 win over Carroll College in the Frontier Conference Tournament title game.

Ashlee Maldonado leads the Argos with 17.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists a game.

“We have our hands full with her,” Weissenfluh said of Maldonado. “She is a great floor leader. She is really good. On paper we match up really well. We are looking to go out and give it everything we have. For these girls, especially our seniors, this is just extra for them. Hopefully we can go in calm, poised and give it our best shot.”

Weissenfluh is taking her team to the NAIA tournament for the 15th time in her 24 years with the program. She said the returning national experience will benefit her team.

“Experience is important,” she said. “We are led by a trio of three all-conference players that were back there last year. Our entire starting five has played in a national tournament. All you can ask for is an opportunity. We are going to make the most of this opportunity. I’m just really excited for our young kids and our seniors. This is a step for our entire program. It helps with recruiting, and helps our younger kids with the experience.”

The Mounties are coming off a 53-44 loss to Southern Oregon in the Cascade Collegiate Conference semifinal on March 1 in Ashland. EOU has won eight of its last 10 games.

“We are playing the best ball we have played all season our last 10 games,” Weissenfluh said. “They are playing with confidence and they believe, and so do I. That is the kind of environment you want your team to play in this time of year.”

All-conference players Brie Holecek, Bayley Brennan and Beverly Slater lead the Mountaineers this season.

Holecek, a 5-foot-10 junior forward, was named the co-defensive player of the year with Chariah Daniels of Walla Walla University.

Holecek hauled down 174 rebounds during the season (6.2 per game) and played lock-down defense. She also averaged 16.1 points per game, and shot .374 from 3-point range.

“She did it by playing 40 minutes a game against teams that were our toughest opponents,” Weissenfluh said of Holecek. “She guarded their leading scorers. She has a really efficient rate on both ends of the floor.”

Brennan, a 5-foot-7 graduate student, averaged 14.6 points a game. She led the conference with 3.2 3-pointers per game, shot .385 from beyond the arc, and ranks fourth in program history with 94 made 3-pointers in a single season.

Slater, a 6-foot senior guard, ranked second in the conference with 11 rebounds per game, and shot .483 from the floor. She recently broke Robyn Hedberg’s (1984-89) all-time rebounding record (892) at EOU, and is the only player to record more than 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds.

“She is just absolutely a workhorse on the boards,” Weissenfluh said. “She takes a lot of pride in that. That (record) was no easy feat. She worked for it. Her rebounding is a big part of why we are where we are.”