Winning the UAA with such dominance this season has a lot of fans excited about Chicago’s chances in the postseason. Here are three ways for the Maroons to ensure that they will break out of a tough Midwest region and play for a national championship in Bloomington:

D-Fense!!!

The Maroons have played stifling defense all season, and will need to continue to do so, especially against tough offensive squads like Illinois Wesleyan. Meghan Herrick has done a great job of locking down opposing teams’ individual scorers, while Bryanne Halfhill is on pace to break the University single season steals record (she needs only eleven more steals to tie the all time record, set in 1992).

From Downtown!

The Maroons are shooting an absurd 39 percent from beyond the arc, compared to only 33 percent by their opponents. Three-point shooting has been key for the Maroons this season, but relying on it too heavily could definitely disadvantage the Maroons. Against Brandeis on Friday, the Maroons struggled from beyond the arc, and were unable to pull away until the second half.

The Show Down Low

Taylor Simpson and Morgan Herrick compliment each other extremely well. Simpson bangs down low in the post and puts in everything around the basket, while Morgan Herrick has a deft midrange touch. The combination is deadly, because teams can’t commit to guarding one without leaving the other open. For the Maroons to be successful, the two will have to continue to play at the high level that they have all season long.