The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: November 10, 2022: We’ll get a good look at NJCU tonight

Welcome to another edition of The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops! We’re two days into the regular season, and we have already seen a number of excellent battles play out. More on that to come in a second, but here’s a look at what game you should be paying attention to on this Thursday night.

Game of the Day: NJCU @ Monmouth (N.J.), 7 p.m. EST

I have to give this D-III vs. D-I game a moment in the spotlight. As some of you know, I’ve been tracking how D-III teams are faring in these early-season duels with D-I competition. Some of the results have been pretty lopsided in favor of the D-I team, but there have been a handful decided in the fourth quarter. This certainly looks to fit into the latter category, which should come as some uplifting news for those who have been watching to see if a D3, on either the men’s or women’s side, will end up with a win over a D-I in this 2022-23 season. After all, NJCU, the back-to-back NJAC champion (and the pick in the conference’s preseason poll to win once again) returns its entire starting lineup, including dynamic scorer Damaris Rodriguez, who averaged 21.2 PPG as a sophomore a year ago. Throw in the fact that Monmouth lost its leading scorer from last year’s squad, and NJCU has already gotten a look at what it takes to beat a D-I in a scrimmage against Saint Peter’s, and you have great opportunity for the Gothic Knights to leave West Long Branch with a win.

Additional thoughts from around the division…

I watched Stevens win 65-50 at Kean last night, and was impressed by the Ducks defensive presence. Kean struggled to get good looks, and shot only 31 percent from the field in that. It was really competitive through the first half, before Stevens put together a third quarter run and began pulling away.

Also caught a few minutes of UW-Oshkosh’s season opener against Lakeland. HC Brad Fischer has said this is one of the youngest groups he’s had during his time there, so it may take a little longer for this team to find its rhythm. UWO pulled out a 60-43 win, though Lakeland had some nice guard play in the early goings.

Berry and Huntington played in one of the closest games of the day, with Berry narrowly winning 63-61. I think Berry is a dark horse contender for the SAA title. They don’t have a whole lot of post play, and started five guards (according to the box score) last night, but those guards are quick, and three scored in double figures.

Really light schedule tonight. We’ll see how it all plays out. A special thank you to Gordon Mann and Pat Coleman of D3hoops.com for allowing this blog to be published on D3hoops.com’s “Daily Dose” blog. You’ll be able to find it there each morning. Have a good day!