Keiser University Athletics

No. 3-ranked Keiser University opened play at the NAIA National Invitational Tournament in dramatic fashion Thursday morning, rallying in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 6-ranked Kansas Wesleyan University, 34-26, at IMG Academy. The Seahawks followed that up by punching their ticket to the NAIA National Championship semifinals Thursday evening with a 20-13 victory over No. 2 Ottawa (Kan.).

Keiser erased a six-point deficit entering the fourth quarter by scoring 20 unanswered points over the opening 10 minutes of the final frame. After trailing 20-14 late in the third quarter, the Seahawks tied the game on a three-yard touchdown connection from freshman quarterback Ava Wallace to Janasia Wilson with 9:30 remaining.

The game-changing play came midway through the fourth quarter when Tremesha Harris stepped in front of a Kansas Wesleyan pass and returned the interception 50 yards for a touchdown, giving Keiser its first lead since the opening quarter at 27-20. Olivia Rijo hauled in the conversion pass to extend the advantage to seven.

Keiser added insurance with 1:52 left as Wallace found Sophia Caprio for a 21-yard touchdown strike to cap a quick three-play, 34-yard drive. Kansas Wesleyan answered with a late score, but the Seahawks closed out the eight-point victory.

Wallace led the offensive attack, completing 31-of-36 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns while adding 14 rushing yards. Keiser totaled 350 yards of offense and averaged 8.0 yards per play.

Ashlea Klam paced the receiving corps with 10 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown, while Caprio added eight receptions for 84 yards and a score. Rijo recorded four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown, along with two extra-point receptions. Wilson also found the end zone and finished with seven receptions for 50 yards.

Defensively, Keiser forced three interceptions and recorded 51 total tackles. Dakota Moberg led the Seahawks with 16 tackles, while Madison Coger intercepted two passes and returned them for 28 yards. Harris added eight tackles to go along with her pivotal pick-six, and Serenity Simon recorded a sack for a three-yard loss.

Ava Wallace connected with Ashlea Klam for the go-ahead touchdown with under five second left in the game, to give the Seahawks their second win of the day. 

Keiser's defense dominated after halftime, holding Ottawa scoreless over the final two quarters while limiting the Braves to just 168 total yards on 35 offensive plays. The Seahawks forced key stops throughout the second half and allowed only three first downs in the contest. 

Trailing 13-7 at halftime, Keiser responded with 13 unanswered points to complete the comeback victory. The Seahawks opened the second-half scoring with a touchdown drive in the third quarter before taking the lead for good in the fourth.

Ava Wallace guided the offense efficiently, completing 36-of-49 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Keiser totaled 313 yards of offense and converted 5-of-11 third-down attempts.

Olivia Rijo led the receiving corps with seven catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, while Tremesha Harris added four receptions for 60 yards, highlighted by a 44-yard catch. 

Defensively, Serenity Simon recorded a sack and tackle for loss, helping Keiser clamp down on the Ottawa passing attack in the second half. The Seahawks also came up with several key defensive stops to set up Klam's go-ahead score.

Ottawa entered the contest with a 16-2 record and jumped out to an early lead after scoring six points in the opening quarter before extending the advantage to 13-7 at halftime. Keiser answered with a strong second-half surge, shutting out the Braves over the final 24 minutes to secure the seven-point victory.

• With the two wins, Keiser improves to 19-5 all-time in the NAIA postseason play 
• The Seahawks are now 3-0 all-time versus Kansas Wesleyan and 3-6 all-time versus Ottawa (Kan.)
• Keiser has thrown for over 300 yards in 13 games this season
• The Seahawks are 7-3 versus ranked opponents this season
• Dakota Moberg broke her own record of flag pulls in a game with 16 versus the Coyotes
• With 20 flag pulls on the day, Moberg now leads the NAIA in flag pulls with 149