DUBUQUE, Iowa -- The 2019 NCCAA North Region Championship comes down to the #1 seed against the #2 seed, and both teams are hot.

It's going to be good.

Today at 2:00 p.m., the Sabercats Women's Basketball Team squares off against the Providence University College Pilots (Manitoba, Canada) for the North Region crown, and it'll be the first time in over two years that these squads have gone head to head. The student-athletes won't care, because the winner calls themselves the North Region Champion and punches their ticket to the 2019 NCCAA DII National Tournament.

On Providence

The Pilots come into the tournament on a good run, holding their winning percentage over .750 since November. The Pilots primarily compete north of the Border in the CCAC, but their competence in NCCAA play has been proven this season, as they hold an NCCAA overall record of 6-1.

PUC's defense is the 3rd-best in the country, allowing just 45.6 points per game. The Pilots know how to defend, and as the cliche phrase goes, defense wins championships. 

On the Series

Not much to speak of here. Actually, the teams have played only once, when MBU took a 77-34 win over the Pilots in February of 2017.

Yes, the win was lopsided, but the Pilots have reinforced their program since then, and they are riding the momentum of a winning record. The two-year gap also means the Johnson twins are the only ones on the Maranatha roster that remember anything about the Canadian squad.

On the Region Championship

A lot is at stake today. The winner goes to nationals while the loser sees their season end.

The Sabercats Women's Basketball Team has not put in an at-large bid for the NCCAA DII National Tournament, so it's a must-win if they want this historic run to continue to the national stage.

On How to Follow

Follow @MBUSabercats on Twitter for game updates, or find the link to watch the game live at mbusabercats.com/composite.