Monthly Archives: January 2024

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D3 WBB Daily: Catholic stays perfect, Linfield upsets Whitman, Emory wins 12th straight

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January 13, 2024

By Riley Zayas

Good morning! We’ve got a full Saturday of D3 women’s basketball ahead! But first, let’s take a look back on last night’s action and key storylines. There were several across the country…literally. We had a huge win in Washington D.C. to start the evening, and finished with an upset in McMinnville, Oregon.

So here we go…

Tipping Off

Catholic remains undefeated in a big win over Scranton

On its home court, Catholic came up with the biggest win of its season, knocking off ninth-ranked Scranton Friday night in an overtime thriller, 89-86. Considering the Cardinals hadn’t beaten Scranton at home since the 2019-20 season, it was a huge result, and even more so, because it kept Catholic undefeated, backing up a #13 national rank that I was admittedly a bit skeptical of entering the matchup. I knew Catholic was a Top 25 team, certainly, but was unsure how the 13-0 record stacked up with the Cardinals having played the nation’s No. 200 strength-of-schedule thus far. But to beat a team with the talent level of Scranton (in addition to having already beaten Elizabethtown on the road) says a great deal about Catholic’s place amongst the nation’s best. The Cardinals certainly appear to be the frontrunner in the Landmark Conference title race, with victories over the league’s other two main contenders already.

With 4:44 left in regulation, Scranton took a 60-47 lead, appearing to be en route to a huge conference win. With 2:20 left, Catholic still trailed by 11. But then came a 10-0 run from the Cardinals, eerily similar to the comeback made late in the win over Elizabethtown back on Nov. 29. Kerry Flaherty kept connecting from 3-point range, and Catholic never backed down in the face of a double-digit deficit. In the blink of an eye, it went from a 66-55 game to a 66-65 game, and Keegan Douglas’ 3-pointer with one second left in the fourth sent the contest in OT, where Catholic emerged with the victory.

What an effort from Douglas, who played 42 minutes, and scored 29 points, shooting 4-of-7 from 3 and 11-of-13 at the free throw line. As a team, Catholic shot 11-of-27 from beyond the arc, making up for the -20 rebounding differential. The Cardinals will take a big step forwards in my ballot this week.

#6 Emory wins at #25 WashU, extends win streak to 12 games

The UAA never seems to disappoint when it comes to down-to-the-wire battles and thrilling finishes that leave you on the edge of your seat. We saw one of those in St. Louis last night, as #6 Emory made the trip west for a duel with #25 WashU. Though Emory led 61-49 entering the fourth quarter, WashU proved exactly why the Bears are a Top 25 team, coming all the way back to cut the deficit to 74-73 with 48 seconds left. Emory ultimately hung onto its lead, pulling out a 76-73 victory as two chances at a tie were missed by WashU in the final seconds. Emory did a number of things well in this game, including the ball movement, which yielded 16 assists and contributed to the Eagles shooting 42.4%. WashU did challenge Emory in the paint, as the Bears scored 46 points there, and found consistent offense at the rim. But overall, on the road against a top-quality team like WashU, the defense was sound.

Interestingly, while nobody in Emory’s rotation entered the game averaging more than 30 minutes per game, four of the Eagles’ starters played at least 31 minutes, including Claire Brock, who was on the floor for 38 of the game’s 40 minutes. Brock and Morgan Laudick, who played 34 minutes, accounted for 40 of Emory’s points, pacing the offense quite well. Emory, now 12-1, closes its road trip tomorrow in the Windy City, facing Chicago. I was really impressed by last night’s performance from the Eagles, who continue to trend upwards in my Top 25.

Is Bowdoin the team to beat in the NESCAC?

It certainly seems that way. The Polar Bears went on the road to what I believe is a very underrated Middlebury team and emerged with a 68-65 victory last night, improving to 2-0 in the NESCAC and 14-1 overall. Bowdoin is rolling right now, and the fact that Middlebury won at Amherst last weekend adds even more value to last night’s victory for the Polar Bears. It came down to the wire, but Bowdoin’s defensive effort forced a pair of Middlebury turnovers in the final 20 seconds, which was key, considering Middlebury only needed a 3-pointer to tie it up at that point. Statistically, Bowdoin shot 51.9 percent, and that offensive success was something I noted in yesterday morning’s write-up. The Polar Bears have been fairly consistent offensively and while 3-point shooting is one of their strengths, Bowdoin found most of its scoring from short-range, battling inside and scoring 40 points in the paint. Amherst is certainly close to Bowdoin at this point, but I’m not sure anyone in the NESCAC is playing with more poise and consistency. Bowdoin has won 11 straight and is 5-0 on the road this season. We’ll see how the matchup against Williams plays out today, but Bowdoin really did a nice job of picking up yet another notable road victory last night. Great stuff from the Polar Bears.

Chaos in the NWC

We saw two huge results in Northwest Conference play last night, with Willamette taking down Puget Sound on the road, 70-62, and Whitman falling in a surprising loss to Linfield, 51-45. Wow, where to start…

I thought Willamette looked sharp in a number of facets, particularly on the offensive end. Willamette’s two go-to post players—forward Elyse Waldal and center Ava Kitchin—posted a pair of strong performances that certainly gave the Bearcats an advantage, at least on the offensive end. Waldal had 20 points and Kitchin added eight, along with three assists. That said…Puget Sound tallied 21 offensive rebounds, and won the battle on the boards as a result, 42-33. The Loggers capitalized on those offensive rebounds, with 20 second-chance points. But Willamette shot 52.9% and was in an offensive rhythm for much of the game…and that was key to the Bearcats maintaining their advantage. Willamette now has wins over Whittier, Whitman, Trinity (TX), and Puget Sound. Not to mention being 5-1 in NWC play.

As mentioned, Linfield pulled off the upset of #19 Whitman, and I didn’t see that one coming at all. Linfield has been good this season, but Whitman, especially as of late, looked to be the frontrunner in the NWC. Yet, Linfield walked away with a 51-45 victory, benefitting from a handful of favorable calls but also playing tremendous defense through all four quarters. Whitman struggled from 3-point range (3-of-12) and couldn’t get much of a rhythm going, especially in the second half. The fact that the Blues were just 8-of-14 at the FT line didn’t help either.

I’ve said it here before and I’ll say it again…this might be one of the most interesting conference races of the season. We’ve now got Willamette leading the league at 5-1, Pacific just behind at 4-1, and Linfield, Puget Sound, and Whitman all tied for third at 3-2. It’ll be an interesting next few weeks in that league.

Fast Breaks

» In an 84-58 victory over Case Western Reserve, #1 NYU tallied 48 points in the paint, as the Violets scored time and time again from short-range. Another big stat? 40 bench points for NYU in that dominant win.

» Amherst defeated Tufts, 68-63, in another tightly-contested battle. The Mammoths earned their fifth straight regular season win at Tufts in the process, and bounced back in a big way after being held to just two points total in the second quarter; Amherst scored 43 over the next 20 minutes, earning a crucial NESCAC road win.

» Trinity (TX) held an opponent below 50 points for the first time this season, defeating St. Thomas (TX), 83-39. That large margin of victory was largely helped by the fact that the Tigers forced 40 turnovers, which directly led to 49 points.

» For the first time since Jan. 8, 2017, Millsaps won at Rhodes, 61-55, and it was a big result, considering both were undefeated in SAA play. Millsaps improved to 14-2, and 5-0 in the SAA.

Looking Ahead

Springfield at MIT, 1:00 pm ET

Oberlin at DePauw, 1:00 pm ET

Lebanon Valley at #21 DeSales, 1:00 pm ET

#20 Mary Hardin-Baylor at McMurry, 2:00 pm ET

Mary Washington at #23 Washington & Lee, 2:00 pm ET

#16 Amherst at Bates, 3:00 pm ET

UW-Platteville at UW-La Crosse, 5:00 pm ET

#22 UW-Stout at #4 UW-Whitewater, 6:00 pm ET

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D3 WBB Daily: UMHB’s incredible comeback, key matchups tonight in the UAA/Landmark/NESCAC

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Jan. 12, 2024

By Riley Zayas

Welcome back to another edition of D3 WBB Daily! We saw some fantastic basketball last night in the ASC and Centennial Conference, and tonight brings us NESCAC, Landmark, and UAA contests, several of which are going to be incredibly key in conference title races. As always, I’ll start with a few storylines/thoughts on last night’s action and the day ahead, before touching on some other notable performances/stats/results, and looking ahead to today’s games to watch.

Hope everyone has had a great start to their Friday!

Tipping Off

Mary Hardin-Baylor’s incredible comeback at #14 Hardin-Simmons

In what was the best game I’ve seen so far this week, and certainly one of the better games I’ve seen this season, the Top 25 battle between #20 Mary Hardin-Baylor and #14 Hardin-Simmons more than lived up to the hype. An overtime battle that saw UMHB go on the road to Abilene and emerge with a dramatic 93-89 victory also featured one of the best comebacks of the season, as UMHB made a statement.

HSU, a strong outside shooting team, went 6-for-11 from beyond the arc in the third quarter, taking a 15-point lead with 1:14 left. By the end of the third, UMHB trailed 63-50, and HSU had the momentum. With the way the Cowgirls were shooting against The Cru’s zone defense, it did not seem like UMHB would have enough to get back in it.

Turns out they did. UMHB outscored HSU 26-13 in the 4th, even taking the lead with 1:57 left, before a late corner 3 from HSU’s Aiken Semones sent the game in OT. The Cru led for the majority of OT, and held on for the road victory, which was pretty impactful in both the ASC race and Region 10. With the win, UMHB now holds a head-to-head result against HSU, as well as a two-game lead ahead of the Cowgirls in the league standings, and also now has one more RRO win, creating further separation between the two resumes.

Scott Peterson summed it up best last night as the game drew to a close: “Mary Hardin-Baylor is about to take a commanding hold of the top projected spot in Region 10. As of right now, any Texas NCAA Tournament teams will need to win at UMHB.”

I do want to note that as far as a Top 25 impact, here’s how I’m seeing it. UMHB proved its 13-1 record was no fluke by winning on the road in what is considered by many to be the toughest road environment in the ASC. Now 14-1 (with a 14-game winning streak), UMHB has a strong result it can point to and will be ranked ahead of HSU in my ballot this next week (of course, UMHB still has to play a tough McMurry team on Saturday). Now, HSU lost, but it was also in OT. The Cowgirls may drop slightly, but not by a great amount in my ballot. The 3-point shooting was absolutely fantastic. Semones was incredible off the bench, shooting 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and she wasn’t the only one. The Cowgirls had a pair of strong quarters in the second and third, and I think the comeback said more about UMHB than it did HSU. Ultimately, we’ve got two really solid Top 25-caliber programs in the ASC right now, which is great to see. They meet again in Belton on Feb. 17 on the final day of the regular season.

Intriguing matchup tonight between Middlebury and Bowdoin

We have Scranton/Catholic, Emory/WashU, and Amherst/Tufts, that will all certainly be interesting and especially impactful from a national perspective. But keep an eye on Bowdoin’s matchup at Middlebury. Right now, there is only one 2-0 team in the NESCAC; that’s Middlebury, who won at both Hamilton and Amherst last weekend. Bowdoin is 1-0, and likely to have been 2-0 if not for the winter storm that blew across the northeast last week. The Polar Bears’ victory came by 15 over a solid Trinity (CT) squad, and Bowdoin continues to move up in the Top 25 Polls. Ranked 15th, ahead of Amherst, Bowdoin is a tough out for anybody, and very much on a roll, with a 13-1 record. Middlebury, on the other hand, has the league’s No. 1 defense, despite struggling to defend the 3 (opponents shooting a league-best 31.2% from 3). Unfortunately for Middlebury, Bowdoin is also the No. 1 3-point shooting team in the NESCAC right now. I think this one comes down to which team is more effective from the perimeter. Interested in this outcome, especially because of the nature of the NESCAC’s single round-robin scheduling format, with everyone only playing each other once in the regular season.

Statement opportunity for Catholic tonight

On Hoopsville yesterday, I brought up Catholic as my “debatable” team, noting that while the #13 ranking is appropriate considering the perfect 13-0 record and the fact that the Cardinals are still undefeated when most others aren’t, Catholic also has been tested a great deal. Their SOS ranks #200 by Massey Ratings and at this point, Catholic has just two Top 100 results (@ Elizabethtown, and vs Marymount). But that changes tonight, as we’ll get a much clearer answer on where Catholic stands, both within the Landmark Conference and the Top 25, as the Cardinals face Scranton at home. Scranton remains ranked ahead of Catholic, but does have one conference loss already, having fallen at Elizabethtown, where Catholic has already won (as Gordon Mann correctly pointed out yesterday on Hoopsville). This is a chance for a breakthrough game for Catholic, and would be pretty impactful in the Landmark title race. Not to mention the regional rankings as well. That said, Scranton is a very talented squad who has found ways to win at Catholic time and time again. The Lady Royals need to avoid a second loss as best as possible, and surviving a road test at Catholic would be pretty impactful from that standpoint.

Fast Breaks

» Congratulations to Hardin-Simmons’ Paris Kiser, who surpassed the career 1,000-point mark against UMHB last night. Kiser had 22 points, and is No. 2 in the ASC in points per game.

» #11 Johns Hopkins pulled away from Swarthmore on the road, 78-65, in what was a pretty entertaining contest. JHU led 35-30 at halftime, but made a key third-quarter run and gained separation.

» Muhlenberg’s record may not show it, but the Mules are a tough opponent, especially at home. Gettysburg, however, weathered the road test yesterday, and came away with a 72-58 victory. The Bullets won the rebounding battle by 10 and shot 45.5%.

» Yesterday’s smallest margin of victory saw Principia defeat Westminster (Mo.) in SLIAC play, 55-54. Principia took the lead on a layup with 48 seconds left, and came up with two key defensive stops, earning the win.

» We’ve got Amherst/Tufts tonight. According to Amherst’s opponent history (on athletics.amherst.edu), the Mammoths have won the last four meetings played at Tufts, with Tufts’ last home regular season win over Amherst coming in 2015.

» Millsaps at Rhodes tonight features the only two teams in the SAA who are undefeated in league play. In a one-bid league like the SAA, games like this one are especially impactful. Millsaps is the favorite, but Rhodes will be on its home court, and I’ll be interested in how this one unfolds.

Looking Ahead

#6 Emory at #25 WashU, 6:30 pm ET

#9 Scranton at #13 Catholic, 7:00 pm ET

#15 Bowdoin at Middlebury, 7:00 pm ET

#16 Amherst at Tufts, 7:00 pm ET

Millsaps at Rhodes, 7:00 pm ET

Willamette at Puget Sound, 7:00 pm ET

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Amherst/Williams, Colorado College and Pacific win big out West

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By Riley Zayas

Jan. 6, 2024

Good morning! A huge Saturday of D3 women’s basketball is ahead, and we’ve got so many key matchups on the slate. Nearly everybody is in action, including 21 teams ranked in the most recent Top 25. Here’s a look at how things transpired last night, as well as a quick look ahead to today’s action.

Tipping Off

Out West, Colorado College and Pacific earned big conference wins

Late last night, several hours after the East Coast matchups had wrapped up, basketball was still being played in the Western U.S. In Colorado Springs, Colorado College took a 35-27 lead at the half against Trinity (TX) and never looked back. CC won the rebounding battle 49-34 in what was a key aspect in keeping Trinity from fighting back into contention. 15 offensive rebounds from the Tigers of CC resulted in numerous second-chance opportunities, and down the stretch, it hurt Trinity’s chances at a comeback.

When you walk into the gym at CC, you’ll see a large message printed on one side of the court: “Welcome to 6,035 feet! Breathe Deeply”. It is an ode to the fact of the altitude at which Colorado Springs is located, and from a basketball standpoint, makes things just that much harder when you’re the visiting team. Over the course of a 40-minute game, exhaustion sets in quicker because of the altitude, and it is probably fair to say that CC has built-in home court advantage no matter how large or small the crowd is. That altitude is so tough to contend with. CC did everything it had to do to maintain its lead, and it creates an interesting situation atop the SCAC standings, with TLU and Trinity both 5-1 in league play, with CC is 4-1. And the SCAC is shaping up to be a one-bid league once again, which will make that conference tournament especially interesting.

But Colorado College wasn’t the only home team to score a big conference victory last night. Pacific stunned Puget Sound, 55-44, in a result that surprised me a little bit after the way Pacific had played as of late, having lost two straight in games they had been projected to win. But you never know in league play. The defensive presence from the Boxers was really good, and they pressured the ball on the perimeter really well. 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 10 second-chance points certainly helped as well, as Pacific attacked the boards and challenged Puget Sound in that aspect of the game. Neither team found much offensive traction, but Puget Sound just struggled to find consistency. Katie Minnehan was their only double-digit scorer, with 10 points. Credit to Pacific for finding a way to get the win, and it makes the NWC just a little more interesting moving forwards.

In a rivalry matchup, Amherst/Williams told us plenty about both teams

The Williams at Amherst matchup certainly lived up to its expectation as a great NESCAC battle (as it often is), with Amherst edging the Ephs, 71-68. The first half was all Amherst, and the second half featured much more of Williams, which nearly led to a dramatic comeback for the Ephs on the road, if not for a game-tying 3-point attempt that rimmed out with just seconds left.

Amherst did a nice job of solidifying its offensive presence early, jumping out to a 21-10 lead in the first 10 minutes. The Mammoths run an efficient offensive system and while not overly complex with their schemes and sets, they are incredibly effective and pushed the ball well in transition. It was one of the better offensive starts I’ve seen from Amherst this season, and a nice complement to the exceptional defense we see year-in and year-out from the Mammoths.

While that defensive presence really challenged Williams through the first two quarters, it seemed the Ephs made a few key adjustments when down 41-27 at the half. Williams tends to run a lot of motion, and likes to get go-to scorer Arianna Gerig in position for downhill drives to the basket, and we saw plenty of that in the second half, especially. Gerig finished with 33 points.

Overall, I saw a more complete offensive game from Amherst, but I also saw Williams find a way to score on Amherst’s incredibly strong defense. It gives me confidence for Williams moving further into NESCAC play, as Amherst is likely to be the toughest defensive team the Ephs will face. I like where I have Amherst right now in my ballot at #15, and we’ll see how they defend Alexa Mustafaj and Middlebury this afternoon. Should be another great NESCAC battle there.

Chicago/WashU might be the game to watch today

There are so many key games (as you’ll see in my “Looking Ahead” section below), but Chicago/WashU has some pretty serious Region 8 implications. Not only will it feature two UAA contenders in their conference opener, but both of these teams have, for one reason or another, taken some losses in getting to this point. While both are certainly in the NCAA Tournament Pool C bid conversation, Region 8 is stacked, and the difference of one spot in the regional rankings could be the difference between playing in March and staying home. The winner of this game will likely remain in a fairly comfortable No. 4 spot in the region, and close to a Pool C lock. The loser is likely to drop behind Carroll, and while there is plenty of season left, head-to-head matchups within region come into play as well. This is one of those cases, and the No. 6 spot in Region 8 is going to be very much “on the bubble”. Really interested to see how this one plays out. WashU has won its last four, while Chicago looks to snap a four-game losing skid.

Fast Breaks

» Willamette took down Linfield, 66-49, on Friday night, earning the Bearcats fifth straight D3 win. In fact, Willamette has not lost to a D3 opponent since Nov. 25 and interestingly, Friday’s win marked the Bearcats first home victory of the season since Nov. 12.

» In an offensive clinic, McKenna Snively and Alivia Giles each scored 19 points in Christopher Newport’s 103-49 win over Cheyney, as the Captains shot 53% from the field. The win moved CNU into a tie for the 14th-longest home winning streak in D-III history, at 45 games, and it is the longest home winning streak since Thomas More’s 64-game stretch in 2017.

» In another thriller in #NESCACtion last night, Middlebury edged Hamilton, 57-54. Middlebury’s Gabby Stuart sank a pair of huge free throws with 54 seconds left to put the Panthers in front, as they closed the win on a 6-1 run.

» Hollins pushed Randolph-Macon into OT in what was a major #UpsetAlert for a significant amount of time. Hollins led 27-19 at halftime, but slowly closed the gap and outscored Hollins 12-8 in OT. Very near upset for Hollins there in the ODAC.

Looking Ahead

#18 Smith at Springfield, 1:00 pm ET

WashU at Chicago, 2:00 pm ET

Baldwin Wallace at Marietta, 2:00 pm ET

Trine at #9 Hope, 3:00 pm ET

Trinity (CT) at #19 Bowdoin, 3:00 pm ET

Middlebury at #10 Amherst, 3:00 pm ET

UW-Oshkosh at #17 UW-Stout, 4:00 pm ET

Occidental at La Verne, 7:00 pm ET

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Elizabethtown’s big win, Smith makes statement, Millikin falls at NCC

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By Riley Zayas

January 4, 2024

Welcome to D3 WBB Daily, as I will take a look each morning at the biggest storylines, news, and notables in D3 women’s hoops, getting you up-to-date on what happened the day before, and what is upcoming in the day ahead. I’ve split this breakdown into three parts: “Tipping Off” will include 3-4 main storylines that have stuck out to me, “Fast Breaks” will be quick notes on impressive performances, stats, etc., and “Looking ahead” will feature a couple key games that are on my “must-watch” list in the day ahead.

For all the hype around yesterday’s matchups and conference play resuming/starting for programs across the country, last night’s games more than lived up to that. We saw so many competitive contests, especially in the Midwest, where the MIAC, WIAC, ARC, and CCIW each had must-see matchups. Here are some of my thoughts on how everything transpired!

North Central was flying under the radar…but not so much anymore
NCC went 6-18 a year ago. And 9-17 in 2021-22. But this season, the Cardinals have already surpassed last year’s win total, and have shown flashes of considerable success. The string of three road losses in the span of a week to Chicago, Carroll, and Wheaton, put NCC in a tough spot, but we’ve seen the Cardinals battle back. They took highly-regarded Illinois Wesleyan into overtime, and fell to Coe by a single point. But last night they finally got in the win column in one of those “big games”. Everything came together for NCC against 11th-ranked Millikin, and the Cardinals emerged with an 84-78 victory, stunning a Millikin team that seemed near-unstoppable.

In a high-scoring battle, NCC dominated in the second half, outscoring Millikin 51-34 over the final two quarters. Interestingly, Elyce Knudsen, the nation’s leading scorer, still had 24 points. Sophie Darden had 18 as well, and Bailey Coffman added 16. The Big Blue shot 42 percent from the field, but struggled majorly from 3-point range. Millikin struggled with foul trouble through the entire second half, as Knudsen, Matayia Tellis, and Darden each sat for significant lengths of time over those final 20 minutes.

Elle Sutter was a huge key to NCC’s win, as she got into the paint, drew fouls, and scored at a high clip. Also a standout soccer player, Sutter finished with 25 points and seven rebounds, having shot 10-of-12 from the FT line. NCC guarded the dribble-drive exceptionally well, and had a solid defensive gameplan that ended up being well-executed.

NCC may have been under-the-radar because of its record entering Wednesday’s matchup, but not anymore. When you take down the 11th-ranked team in the land, people soon know who you are. And NCC is as much in the CCIW title fight as anyone at this point.

Elizabethtown ends Scranton’s undefeated bid in Landmark Conference battle
After taking two disappointing losses in Puerto Rico and seeing its NCAA Tournament resume take a slight hit, Elizabethtown resumed Landmark Conference play with a vengeance. That’s what it takes to beat the #5 team in the country. Even without the student body in the stands due to winter break, there was plenty of energy in Elizabethtown’s gym on Wednesday evening, as the Blue Jays defeated Scranton, 67-64.

In what was a back-and-forth contest from the opening tip until the final buzzer, Elizabethtown won the rebounding battle by 8, shot 43 percent from the field, and overcame a -6 turnover margin to win the Blue Jays’ biggest game of the year. Summer McNulty had a stellar day for Elizabethtown with 25 points, shooting 8-of-18. The Blue Jays were also 14-of-16 at the FT line, which played a key role in a game decided by such a thin margin. If anything, this just makes the Landmark race a little more interesting. Elizabethtown, Catholic, and Scranton are all in the mix for the title, and each certainly has the capability of beating the other two.

A second-half comeback from Gustavus Adolphus
You almost had to do a double-take when looking at the halftime score. Concordia (MN), on the road in a pivotal MIAC matchup, led the 8th-ranked Gustavus Adolphus Gusties, 36-24, at the intermission. It was a much wider margin than I had expected for a halftime score, especially involving a very talented Gustavus team.

But the Gusties quickly righted the ship and an 11-0 run cut Concordia’s lead to a single point. From there, it was a battle all the way through. The Gusties won the fourth quarter, 18-14, and ended up winning the game by the same four-point margin, 64-60, in a key test within what appears to be a very competitive MIAC this season.

We knew Concordia was good, but last night showed that the Cobbers are right there in contention for the MIAC title, and are certainly a tough defensive squad. Points did not come easily for either team, though both did a good job of getting to the FT line. The biggest stat in my opinion? Gustavus won the battle on the offensive boards, 14-3, and second-chance points, 12-2. That is certain to give you an advantage in just about every game, no matter the opponent.

Smith with a statement
I said on Tuesday that MIT earned the final spot in my Top 25 ballot over Smith and a couple others. Well, the Pioneers of Smith have me rethinking that after the way last night played out in the NEWMAC. Smith completely dominated MIT in an 82-54 victory, winning big as the Pioneers had five scorers in double figures.

The NEWMAC will be a competitive league this year, no doubt, but Smith is certainly the frontrunner at this point. The loss to Dickinson on Sunday hurt their resume, but this win did plenty to improve that. MIT had been very good this year (including a win over Tufts on the road), but Smith’s offense was way too much to defend. The Pioneers finished with 56 points in the paint!

D3 Women’s Basketball Championship Game coverage moving to ESPN in 2025
I didn’t want to make this write-up any longer, but as I was getting ready to publish, I saw some breaking news from the NCAA. About 20 minutes ago, it was announced that the broadcast rights to 40 NCAA Championships have been acquired by ESPN. The agreement begins on Sept. 1, 2024 (which means the first D3 WBB broadcast will be the 2025 NCAA Tournament Final), and includes the D3 women’s basketball national title game, along with the D3 men’s basketball semifinals & championship game, and the D3 volleyball national title game. It is currently unclear if this agreement will affect the scheduling of the championship game, but that is an aspect I will keep a close eye on —> Link to press release

Fast Breaks
» Dubuque challenged #12 Wartburg considerably well in what proved to be a thrilling ARC battle, as the contest went into OT and was eventually won by Wartburg, 53-50. There was certainly an “upset” aspect to it, as Dubuque led late in the 4th, but just overall, exceptional basketball from both sides. The ARC title race is going to be one you’ll want to follow.

» Also, one more Wartburg note. Sara Faber surpassed the 1,000-point mark against Dubuque last night, so congratulations to her! That is a huge accomplishment, and she has been a key part of the Knight’s offensive success for several seasons now.

» Washington & Lee’s Mary Schleusner had yet another huge day for the Generals, with a 24-point, 20-rebound double-double. And she had five steals and three blocks in addition to it! She’s playing at such a high level right now and is so crucial to W&L’s success.

» Talk about great offensive performances. In an impactful 70-45 WIAC victory for UW-Eau Claire over UW-Platteville, UWEC’s Kyla Overskei had 28 points on a 6-of-7 day from 3-point range. She shot 11-of-14 (78.5%) from the field in total. Wow.

» DePauw moved to 2-0 in the NCAC with a big win over Ohio Wesleyan in what was a rematch of last year’s NCAC Semifinal (and was won by OWU). DePauw outscored OWU 24-18 in the third quarter, and won, 64-57, as Riley Mont came through with 19 points.

» Thank you to UW-Stout SID Casey Perrott, who I was told found the date of the last time UW-Stout and UW-Stevens Point faced off as ranked opponents. It took some serious research! Turns out it was Jan. 6, 2007, and three days to the date of that game 17 years later, the two programs battled as ranked opponents once again last night, and Stout won big, 82-53. Raegan Sorensen led the way with 25-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Blue Devils.

Looking Ahead
UMass-Dartmouth at #4 Rhode Island College, 5:30 pm ET

Univ. of New England at Suffolk, 5:30 pm ET

Merchant Marine at Mount St. Vincent, 6 pm ET

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Top 25 Ballot Breakdown: Week 4

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By Riley Zayas

January 2, 2024

It’s that time again! With New Year’s Day being yesterday, Top 25 ballots were submitted today, one day later than is typical for the D3hoops.com Poll. As I do each week, I wrote down my thoughts and analysis on my Top 25 ballot, and the 25 teams that I included. Once again, I am one of just 25 voters in this national poll, so this is simply the perspective of one national voter on the Top 25 landscape, but not a representation of how every voter approaches their ballot. That is one of the things that makes this poll so great. With 25 voters, you get varying opinions and perspectives on teams, leading to an interesting ranking. And that is even more so the case this week, as we went three weeks without an official Top 25 Poll. Within that time, we had an incredible amount of nationally-relevant matchups, many of which were at neutral sites, and gave us a chance to watch teams face off in key non-conference contests. Those matchups, as you will see in my notes below, proved especially insightful in several cases, as I worked to order and evaluate the teams in my ballot. It will not surprise me if we get a large number of teams in the “receiving votes” category this week, simply because there were so many results (impactful wins and losses) within the last few weeks that will affect how teams are perceived and ranked within each voter’s ballot.

Anyway, here we go…

  1. NYU (11-0): The Violets took down a solid UW-Platteville team on a neutral court in Santa Cruz, California, in what was a fourth Massey Top 50 win for NYU. The way the Violets performed in that 76-50 victory, including outscoring the Pioneers 16-2 in the second quarter, continues to speak volumes about NYU’s depth and talent level. This is a squad that heads into UAA play with a perfect 11-0 record and six Massey Top 100 wins already. Lots to like from the Violets right now.
  2. Transylvania (11-0): Transylvania had a solid week, notching a win over UW-Eau Claire (currently Massey Top 50) in Lexington. The Pioneers went 2-0 on their home court with victories over Edgewood and UWEC, and are very much on pace to go 25-0 once again through the regular season. As I mentioned last week, the defensive efficiency is exceptional, but the balance amongst scorers on the offensive end is another thing that makes Transy dangerous. All five starters scored in double figures in the win over UWEC on Saturday.
  3. UW-Whitewater (11-0): The Warhawks were not in action this last week, so no real update on Whitewater. The body of work from this team through non-conference play was really impressive, especially as Carroll remains in a good position as a Top 25 contender, and Illinois Wesleyan surges higher in the poll (or at least, in my ballot…we’ll see about the poll when it is released tonight). The IWU win came on the road, and the victory over Concordia-Moorhead, a narrow victory, but a win nonetheless, came on a neutral court. Throw in a quality win over Chicago, and this team looks very strong headed into WIAC play. Beyond just the numbers, Whitewater is incredibly tough to defend, with five shooters on the floor at all times. There is clear communication between the guards and posts, and that is valuable as well. We’ve seen it against nationally-ranked competition multiple times this year, and we’ll see it through WIAC play in the coming weeks and months.
  4. Rhode Island College (12-0): Just behind Whitewater, RIC also boasts a really impressive resume. Four wins over Top 50 Massey teams, two of which were on a neutral court, certainly sticks out. I like the direction the Anchorwomen are headed in, and they continue LEC play against Mass.-Dartmouth on Thursday in a matchup that should push RIC a little bit.
  5. Scranton (11-0): The Lady Royals remain in the Top 5 with a perfect record and strong on-court play. The victory over DeSales is Scranton’s lone Massey Top 100 win, but to put context to the 11-0 record, Scranton ranks No. 2 in efficiency nationally (only behind NYU), per D3Datacast.com. That efficiency shows up when watching Scranton compete, and everything seems to be clicking for the Lady Royals heading into a key Landmark Conference duel at Elizabethtown tomorrow.
  6. Illinois Wesleyan (11-2): Yes, I have the Titans ahead of Hope, who beat them earlier in the year. But I think we have seen IWU tested a little bit more, and more importantly, away from their home court. That said, the margin between IWU, Gustavus Adolphus, and Hope is very, very narrow. The depth of IWU continues to be very impressive, and results-wise, three of IWU’s top four wins (all Massey Top 50) have come away from Bloomington. The neutral court victories over Puget Sound and WashU are strong wins, as is the victory at Chicago. The continual improvement of the Titans has been cool to watch, and I think at this point, we’re seeing a team that is cohesive, balanced, and remarkably tough to beat on the defensive end.
  7. Gustavus Adolphus (9-1): The Gusties took down Bethel, 61-45, on Saturday, adding to its win total heading into a pivotal MIAC matchup at Concordia-Moorhead tomorrow. Overall, the non-conference portion of the schedule served Gustavus fairly well, as it yielded a strong win over UW-Stout, and even the loss to Rhode Island College provided a good test and benefitted the Strength of Schedule. As mentioned a second ago, the margins between IWU, Gustavus, and Hope are minimal, but right now, I’m giving the Gusties a slight edge ahead of a very good Hope team.
  8. Hope (12-1): The Flying Dutch came away with two wins in New York City over Lehman and Salem State, but that did little to strengthen Hope’s resume. However, Hope has several top-level results already this year, and I’ve been impressed by the approach of this team. Having a completely new starting five is difficult, so beating Illinois Wesleyan, UW-Platteville, Millikin, and Augustana, amongst others, becomes even more notable. That’s my biggest takeaway from Hope right now. Massey Ratings has the Flying Dutch at No. 3.
  9. Christopher Newport (13-1): To be clear, CNU didn’t fall from No. 6 to No. 9 on my ballot purely because of the loss to SUNY New Paltz. But it did have something to do with it. CNU had two tough games at the Stevens Tournament, and while the Captains beat Stevens on Saturday, it took them a little while to pull away. We saw similar situations against both Grove City and Whitman. CNU is certainly a Top 10 team in my mind, and playing so much away from home does not make things any easier. To only have one loss heading into January is actually a big positive, considering the schedule CNU has played so far. Ultimately, IWU, Gustavus, and Hope had slight edges over the Captains, though we will see what plays out moving forwards.
  10. Millikin (10-2): We hear so much about Elyce Knudsen and Bailey Coffman when discussing Millikin, which is valid, but I think Sophie Darden and Matayia Tellis have both stepped up for Millikin as well. That creates a real challenge for opponents on both ends of the floor. There are no major visible weaknesses for the Big Blue, who boast two wins over Massey Top 50 teams in DePauw and UW-Platteville. I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the voters handle the loss to Hope. Considering that game was played in Holland, and against a Hope team that we know is Top 10-caliber, it is hard to knock Millikin that much. The CCIW is going to be an incredibly tough league, evidenced by the fact that I have two CCIW squads within my Top 10 right now.
  11. Emory (10-1): Emory is a better team than I think they’ve been given credit for. The Hardin-Simmons win sticks out, considering HSU has experience and depth, and several different scorers on the floor at all times. I thought Emory handled that very well on the defensive end, and besides the loss to CNU (in which they were without Claire Brock), Emory has not stumbled. Expect several more top-quality results from the Eagles as UAA play tips off.
  12. Johns Hopkins (10-1): I had JHU on my last ballot, but the Blue Jays have made some significant jumps to reach the No. 12 spot this week. The 87-79 victory over Chicago on a neutral court last week was yet another quality win for the frontrunner in the Centennial Conference, who only seems to be playing better and better as the weeks progress. JHU had not played for 20 days leading into the matchup against Chicago, but seemed to be in rhythm from the jump. That was impressive to see, and the wins over WashU and Gettysburg contribute well to JHU’s current resume as well.
  13. UW-Stout (10-1): The Blue Devils have added a mid-year transfer, Lexi Wagner, who previously played at D1 Youngstown State and D2 Mercyhurst. Wagner is a skilled scorer, and only improves the versatility and depth found on UW-Stout’s roster. It is another big positive for a team that rolled through the first two months of the season with virtually no hiccups outside of the loss at Gustavus Adolphus. The offensive efficiency is exceptional, and the Blue Devils will be able to win plenty of games behind their outside scorer presence. That said, the WIAC schedule is no joke, and I’m excited to see how Stout navigates the first week of league play with a game at UW-Stevens Point and a home duel against UW-Oshkosh; UWSP is 11-0 and UWO is in my Top 25 this week.
  14. Wartburg (11-2): The Knights are difficult to figure out. Wartburg clearly has plenty of experienced talent, but has shown some inconsistency as of late. They have taken two fairly-one sided loss to Whitman (85-51), and WashU (72-46) in the last two weeks, but also beat DePauw, 89-40, on a neutral court within that span. I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Knights as ARC play resumes. It will not surprise me to see Wartburg back near (or in) the Top 10 as the next two months progress. But the losses to Whitman and WashU are difficult to grade as a voter, considering neither was a very competitive contest. Time will tell, but Wartburg is a Top 15 team at this point in time from my perspective, and I would guess most voters will agree.
  15. Amherst (9-0): I’ve had the Mammoths in my Top 25 since the preseason, and having seen them play, I have little doubt that a No. 15 ranking is warranted. But Amherst also does not have the current results to back that up…yet. We get NESCAC play on Friday/Saturday of this week, and Amherst opens against Williams and Middlebury (who beat Stevens and lost to New Paltz by 3 this past weekend). Both games are at home, and will give us a good chance to see how Amherst contends against stronger competition.
  16. Hardin-Simmons (11-2): HSU is 11-2 and in a good spot right now as ASC play picks back up. The trip to Georgia saw the Cowgirls defeat Piedmont and fall to Emory, as their record moved to 11-2. For the most part, I like what I’ve seen from HSU, and the experience on the roster continues to be a point in the Cowgirls’ favor. But ASC play will be the real test. McMurry and Mary Hardin-Baylor are HSU’s next two games, and both teams have opened the season strong. I was glad to see HSU challenge itself by going to Emory and contending on the road, and as a result (along with a few other key results from other teams), HSU does not really move much in my ranking.
  17. Whitman (9-3): I said it last week, but Whitman’s performances against Wartburg and Christopher Newport in Nashville were very valuable. It gave us a chance to see the Blues in action against Top-15 ranked opponents on a neutral court, especially having not been tested all that much early in the non-conference schedule. Beating Wartburg, 85-51, put the Blues back on my radar, and contending against CNU only furthered the resume. The 17-25 spots in this ballot, as you will see, were very tough to arrange in terms of order. Whitman ultimately ends up at No. 17 as I value Wartburg highly and the wins over Colorado College and Pacific certainly help. I should also note that while Whitman has three losses, only two came against D3 opponents.
  18. Bowdoin (10-1): Bowdoin defeated Chicago this past week in a strong victory for the Polar Bears, who are trending up, in my opinion. We’ve seen wins over Bates and Springfield in addition to the recent one over Chicago, and much like Amherst, NESCAC play should only solidify Bowdoin’s place in the Top 25. Watching them play, the offensive efficiency really sticks out, especially as the Polar Bears shoot 45.6% from the field. Interested to see where Bowdoin ends up in tonight’s Top 25 Poll, as I think Bowdoin is a little bit underrated at this point in time.
  19. UW-Oshkosh (9-2): Early on, I was unsure about Oshkosh, but as the season progresses, I like the way the Titans are playing. According to Massey Ratings, Oshkosh is the nation’s best defensive team, and we saw that in the Titans’ 69-41 win over Ripon on Saturday. They allow an average of 44.7 points per game, and currently hold quality wins over WashU and Wittenberg, in addition to having beaten Ripon. Definitely right up there with Whitewater and Stout as a WIAC contender, and certainly in position for an NCAA Tournament bid.
  20. Catholic (11-0): Catholic has more than earned its spot in my ballot, as going undefeated is no small feat. My concern had been the quality of Catholic’s schedule, but having watched the Cardinals’ win over Marymount, I am confident in where Catholic ended up in my ballot. We’ve seen Catholic beat three Massey Top 100 teams (Shenandoah, Elizabethtown, Marymount), which strengthens its resume, and I am especially interested to see the home matchup against Scranton on Jan. 12. That will be a crucial matchup in the Landmark, and especially so for Catholic, considering it is a chance to face Scranton at home.
  21. Mary Hardin-Baylor (11-1): UMHB is similar to Amherst and Catholic right now in the sense that The Cru has put together a very strong run to open the season, but does not have many quality results to point to. Millsaps challenged the Crusaders on a neutral court in New York City, but UMHB passed that test and extended its win streak to 11. Ultimately, you have to win the games in front of you, and that is what UMHB has done. Katie Novak-Lenoir, in her first year as head coach, is leading the program extremely well, playing a fast-paced style that also puts an emphasis on quality defense. UMHB faces UT-Dallas this coming Saturday in what should be a great defensive battle within the ASC.
  22. WashU (7-4): This is a case where you really have to balance a look at the overall body of work in addition to recent performance. WashU started the season with a 3-4 record, but in the four games since First Team All-UAA guard Jessica Brooks returned to the floor, the Bears are a perfect 4-0. And those wins have come against Dubuque, Fontbonne, UW-River Falls, and Wartburg. Three of those four are in the Massey Top 100. Two of those (UWRF and Wartburg) are in the Massey Top 50, and WashU beat those two teams on consecutive days. The 72-46 win over Wartburg at Wartburg’s holiday tournament was pretty impressive and played a role in getting WashU to No. 22, as opposed to being No. 24 or No. 25. Again, I think Wartburg is a solid Top 15 team, and to win by that margin on the opponent’s home court deserves some serious recognition. WashU also has Lexy Harris in the post, who is quickly making her case to be a Freshman All-America selection. The Bears have also played the nation’s sixth-toughest strength-of-schedule, according to Massey Ratings. I really like the direction WashU is headed in with UAA play beginning this week.
  23. Puget Sound (8-3): The Loggers are in my ballot for the first time this season. They play several non-D3 opponents in non-conference play (much like Whitman), which makes it a little tougher to gauge the ordering of Puget Sound in my ballot. But the fact that the Loggers went to the Midwest on consecutive weekends and faced UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, Illinois Wesleyan, and John Carroll is something we rarely see from NWC teams, and is outstanding for resume-building. Puget Sound went 2-2 in those games, picking up a Massey Top 50 win over UW-Eau Claire (on UWEC’s home court) and a neutral court win over John Carroll, who is in the Massey Top 100. Their D3 losses to IWU and UW-Stout are quality losses, especially with the way both have played since those early November matchups. If you remember, Puget Sound fell to IWU by a 78-77 margin and led that game, 44-36, at the half.
  24. Trinity (TX) (9-4): December saw Trinity drop three games in the span of a week, all of which were away from home and against Massey Top 100 opponents. It also saw the Tigers leave the D3hoops.com Classic with a quality win over Framingham State, who was 11-0 entering the contest. Natalie Anderson being unavailable for the last four games did not help the matter, as she nearly averages a double-double, with 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. That said, Trinity’s guard play is exceptional and St. Thomas (MN) transfer Natalie Greenwood should give the Tigers more depth in the post, especially in Anderson’s absence. It will not surprise me in the slightest if Trinity closes the regular season by going undefeated through the remainder of SCAC play.
  25. MIT (8-2): The final spot in my ballot really came down to three teams: MIT, Tufts, and Smith. All three had similar resumes, though Smith’s 66-63 loss on Sunday to Dickinson hurt the Pioneers’ chances of being ranked just a little bit more. I had Smith high in early December, but watching more film on them and evaluated results since that point, I think MIT has the edge, especially considering, amongst other aspects, MIT won at Trinity (CT), while Smith beat the Bantams at home. MIT also has three Massey Top 50 wins, while Smith has just one. Tufts was also in the mix, but it was tough for me to think about putting Tufts ahead of MIT, when MIT beat the Jumbos on the road. In fact, all three of MIT’s best wins came away from home, which is pretty notable. That included a win over WashU that looks even better as of late. We’ll see what is ahead for MIT in NEWMAC play.

Hope you enjoyed this ballot breakdown! The D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll will be released tonight, so stay tuned for that. Have a great rest of your day! And as always, feel free to reach out with thoughts/feedback, Leave a comment below, DM me on X/Twitter (@ZayasRiley) or email me at rileyzayas@gmail.com.

Other links that are insightful & mentioned above: 

D3Datacast.com WBB Efficiency Ratings

Massey Ratings-D3 WBB

Scott Peterson’s Current Season Results Model