Greensboro, NC (02/28/01) -- Junior guard Erin Beacham (Atlanta, GA/Lovett) led four Guilford players in double-figure scoring with a game-high 16 points as the host Quakers won their first-ever NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament game with an 80-57 win over Meredith Wednesday night. The Quakers advance to the second round of the national playoffs and visit Hardin-Simmons in Abilene, TX, Saturday (3/03) at 7:30 P.M. CST.

Freshman forward Jennie Keichline (Cary, NC/East Chapel Hill) scored all 11 of her points in the first half to stake the Quakers (22-6) to a 34-28 halftime lead. Freshman guard Kate Goodman's (Salisbury, NC/West Rowan) three-pointer with 15:45 left capped a 12-4 Guilford run to start the second period. The Angels (17-6) whittled the deficit to 50-42 with 12:59 remaining thanks to an 8-0 run that included four of sophomore Beth Vernon's (Greensboro, NC) team-high 13 points. Guilford rattled off the next seven points and Meredith never drew closer than 15 points the rest of the game. The Angels made just nine of 40 shots (22.5%) in the second half.

"When we came out in the full-court press (in the second half), they didn't have as much time to look and started getting rattled," Guilford head coach Barb Bausch said. "That helped us get some quick points and helped us settle down more."

Guilford senior forward Arden Miller (Landenberg, PA/Sanford School (DE)) notched her team-leading eight double-double of the year with 15 points and a game- and season-high 14 rebounds. The Most Outstanding Player of last weekend's Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Tournament matched a career-high with five steals and has three double doubles in her last four contests. Goodman finished with 10 points and three steals. Keichline's 11 points led Guilford's bench effort, as the Quakers' reserves outscored their Meredith counterparts, 35-18.

"I just went out there and did what I could for my team," Keichline said. "I just tried to help them out in every way I can."

"All of a sudden she'll get hot and you just let her go," Bausch said. "She just has confidence and sometimes says, 'Just give me the ball and I'll do something with it.' Tonight was one of those nights."

Vernon and sophomore forward Tracy Sumner (Fayetteville, NC) paced the Angels with 13 points apiece. Sumner added a team-high 11 rebounds and sophomore forward Amber Scott (Fairmount, NC) contributed eight points and 10 boards. Coach Carl Hatchell's club played without its leading scorer and rebounder, sophomore forward Jen Schwachenwald (Santa Fe, NM) (13.8 ppg., 8.3 rpg.), who suffered a knee injury in Meredith's final regular-season game.

The Quakers play at Hardin-Simmons (21-6), the American Southwest Conference champions, this Saturday. The Cowgirls, who received a first-round bye, are making their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and reached the national quarterfinals in 2000.