The Winfield-Mount Union girls’ basketball team has reached the big stage of the state tournament, and now WMU gets their chance to move a step closer to the ultimate prize when the eighth-ranked Wolves take on number three North Linn in the Class 1A state quarterfinals tonight, a game you can hear on KCII. Winfield-Mount Union is 22-1, starting 19-0 behind a dominant defense and the post play of senior forward Bradie Buffington, who is averaging better than 14 points and eight rebounds per game.

But the Wolves brought home the 1A Region 8 championship thanks to the play of two other senior stars. Guard Keetyn Townsley is shooting an impressive 52 percent on three-pointers, including going 7-for-13 in the three regional games. Meanwhile, forward Melina Oepping has taken her game to another level, averaging 18 points per contest and shooting over 60% over her last six games. But WMU head coach Mendy McCreight tells KCII Sports that, if her team is going to keep marching towards a state championship, it all comes back to getting stops.

“I think our defense has been our key all season long,” McCreight says. “We know where we need to be. We know what we can do. We’re so interchangeable with our defenses, and that makes it tougher on teams when we go to play. You never know what we’re going to throw at [the opponent].”

Winfield-Mount Union will face one of its biggest challenges in North Linn, which averages a whopping 71 points and hits nine triples a game. It’s the first appearance at the state tournament for the Wolves since 1998. WMU tries to move on to the Class 1A state semifinals, and you can hear all the action this evening on KCII Radio and streaming on KCIIradio.com. Coverage from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines begins with the pregame show at 6:15.