Bowling Wins First Conference USA Championship Match

Thursday, March 19

Harahan, La. / Colonial Lanes

3:00 PM

Sacred Heart

Wichita State

Bowling Wins First Conference USA Championship Match

3/19/2026 9:09:00 PM | Women's Bowling

SHU claimed a thrilling 2-1 victory over No. 6 Wichita State to extend its tournament

By: Josh Smith

HARAHAN, La. – The ninth-seeded Sacred Heart University bowling team won its first Conference USA Bowling Championship match on Thursday evening with a 2-1 mega-match victory over No. 6 Wichita State on day two of the tournament in Harahan, La.

SHU started the day with a win in the traditional match, 1,025-960. Karleigh Lemond led the way with 233 pins in the match, while Hope Tafolla had 221 and Megan Prettyman had 211.

Up 1-0, SHU then went to the Baker match. A big game one and two for the Shockers put them up 45 pins in the match. The Pios got within 21 pins over the next two games, but a 227-154 win in the fifth sealed a victory for Wichita State.

With the match tied at 1-1, the teams headed to a Baker best-of-seven contest. SHU came out hot in the match, winning the first three games, the first being a convincing 241-180 victory. Unfortunately for the Pios, the Shockers did not go down without a fight, as they won the next three games to force a deciding game seven. In the seventh, the teams traded punches late into the bout. Coming down to the final frames, five straight strikes by the Pioneers gave them the hard-fought victory. Tafolla sealed the win with a turkey in the 10th frame sending SHU on to the next round.

The Pioneers will battle No. 5 Louisiana Tech in round four tomorrow at 10 a.m. SHU is 1-1 against the Bulldogs this season, winning a traditional match in January and dropping a Baker match in November. Sacred Heart won the traditional match by 33 pins and dropped the Baker match by 23.