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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Here’s how I’m currently seeing the Top 25…

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December 28, 2023

By Riley Zayas

Hope everyone had a happy holidays and a Merry Christmas! This is a great time of the year, and we’re now into our final holiday tournaments of the season. The next tournaments on the calendar after this week? Conference tournaments, and of course, the NCAA Tournament soon to follow. That’s hard to believe! We’re halfway through the season, and honestly, this season has gone so fast. I’m excited to see how conference play unfolds across the country, and we will have no shortage of things to talk about as January and February plays out.

I put together a Top 25 ranking this weekend, just to see where I was on several of these teams as we enter a huge week of non-conference matchups. Next week, we’re back to submitting official Top 25 ballots for the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, so expect a new Top 25 next Monday. Until then, here’s how I’m seeing the national landscape of D3 women’s basketball! I kept my thoughts to more of minimum this week, but hopefully some of it provides good insight and reasoning behind why some of these teams are where they are within my Top 25.

  1. NYU: Nothing has changed here. We’ll see how NYU looks coming out of a long break and playing on the West Coast this week against UC-Santa Cruz and UW-Platteville, but the Violets have continually earned the top spot in my ballot. UAA play will be the real test.
  2. Transylvania: A close second, the defending national champions look to be playing the best defense in the entire country. Opponents simply can’t score on the Pioneers. Last week against Bluffton in HCAC play, Transy held the Beavers to four straight single-digit quarters in a 75-29 win. The last time this season that Transy allowed more than 50 points in a game? Nov. 12 against DePauw. And they allowed exactly 50 in that one. Record watch: The D-III record for scoring defense in a season was set by New Rochelle in ‘99…that season, New Rochelle allowed an average of 39.2 points per game. The Pioneers currently sit at 41.3 points per game. I should note that it is much tougher to maintain that average come NCAA tournament time, and yes, postseason games do factor into the final total when it comes to records and such. But it just puts into perspective how strong the Transylvania defense has been so far.
  3. UW-Whitewater: This was a tough selection in terms of keeping Rhode Island College behind UW-Whitewater, but when you look at the numbers and watch the film, I think the Warhawks win out narrowly. RIC came up with a huge win over Gustavus Adolphus last week, but UWW had a really solid win of its own, defeating Messiah 62-36 in Puerto Rico. That came a day after beating Manhattanville, 70-35. Messiah was held to just 13 points in the entire second half of that game, a further sign that UWW’s defense is really coming alive. That is especially timely, with WIAC play tipping off in about a week. This UWW team is Final Four-caliber, no doubt.
  4. Rhode Island College: Based on what I saw from the win over Gustavus Adolphus, I’d say RIC is very much in the conversation for another big run to the Final Four, but this year, the Anchorwomen won’t surprise many. The level RIC has been playing at is incredible, and just watching the film from the neutral court win over Gustavus, RIC’s defensive pressure against an extremely dangerous and balanced Gustie offense really stuck out. And RIC also beat Baldwin Wallace handily while in Florida, which is a great win that adds a little bit to the resume.
  5. Scranton: The Lady Royals have a key test upcoming against Elizabethtown on Jan. 3 and picked up a key road win in overtime against #18 DeSales last week that should prove impactful on Scranton’s resume. Scranton has found different ways to win throughout this season, and that is a valuable attribute. D-I transfer Victoria Toomey continues to be an impact transfer for the Lady Royals and has done a good job of giving Scranton an edge in the post. My Top 6 teams are all undefeated, and the margin between 4-6 is very minimal.
  6. Christopher Newport: Again, the margin between Scranton and CNU is extremely narrow. Grove City challenged the Captains a little more than I would’ve anticipated in the first game of last week’s Music City Classic, but then again, it was the first game of the event, and played not long after a lengthy bus trip to Tennessee. The win over Whitman was especially impressive, considering Whitman looked like the better team for the entire first 10 minutes before CNU turned the momentum and took charge. The 70-61 victory is CNU’s best win to date, and the Captains hold steady at #6.
  7. Illinois Wesleyan: The Titans continue to climb in my rankings, with a seven-game win streak heading into Friday’s matchup at Hendrix. As I’ve said before, the fact that IWU has won (and won convincingly in multiple cases) against good competition without a completely healthy roster is a major point in the Titans’ favor. Once Lauren Huber is back on the floor, this team will only be more dangerous. The offensive schemes are polished, and this is a program that has long taken pride in tenacious defense. We saw that in the win at Chicago, and with the way IWU has performed as of late, I’d put them up against anyone in the country. In my eyes, and with what we’ve seen recently, this is a Top 10 team…no doubt about it.
  8. Gustavus Adolphus: A loss to RIC does not do much to hurt the Gusties’ resume in my opinion. It was a competitive game, and RIC has proven to a Top-5 team consistently so far. Gustavus is still very much in the national title conversation in my opinion, and it won’t surprise me in the slightest if they run the table in the MIAC and go undefeated in league play once again this season.
  9. Hope: The Flying Dutch have proven to be a top-tier team for the better part of this season. Starting with the IWU and UW-Platteville wins in mid-November, and leading up through the big victory over Millikin last Wednesday, Hope continues to impress. The Flying Dutch are 10-1, and I honestly didn’t think I’d have Hope in the Top 10 before New Year’s Day. But here we are.
  10. Wartburg: Whitman took down the Knights by a fairly significant margin at the Music City Classic, and that forced me to move Wartburg down a little bit. But not out of the Top 10. We saw them defeat a fairly strong DePauw team the next day, 89-40, and if anything, that result proved the loss to Whitman was more of a combination of Whitman being better than expected and Wartburg having a tough afternoon. Wartburg is very much a top-caliber team and I’ll be interested to see if we get a Wartburg/WashU matchup in the championship game of the Wartburg Holiday Tournament on Saturday. That’ll be one more great non-conference test for the Knights before ARC play resumes.
  11. Emory: I really like the Eagles’ chances to have a big year in the UAA. Claire Brock and Daniella Aronsky are two of the best players in the league and we shall see how Emory fares against a strong Hardin-Simmons squad in Atlanta later this week. That’ll be a great test, and unlike the CNU game earlier this year, Emory should have Brock available, which will make a difference. UAA play is right around the corner!
  12. Millikin: Losing to Hope in Holland is not going to damage Millikin’s resume all that much. From a Top 25 perspective, Millikin battled through all four quarters, and it was competitive all the way through. Elyce Knudsen is undoubtedly one of the most electrifying players in the country, and what she can do with the ball in her hands is amazing. Bailey Coffman continues to be a force there in the post, and Millikin has plenty of contributors stepping up around those two. The Big Blue is 9-2, and amongst Millikin’s nine victories are wins over DePauw and UW-Platteville, both of which really boost the resume.
  13. UW-Stout: Another team that makes a big jump forwards. At this point, Stout has shown it has all the pieces to compete on a national level, and the guard play we’ve seen from the Blue Devils has been nothing short of incredible. This team is very dangerous from 3-point range, and is efficient on the offensive end, which will yield good results in WIAC play. The Blue Devils battle Augsburg on Saturday before getting into WIAC play. Whether this high ranking holds up or not remains to be seen, but I am very confident in putting Stout at #13, based on the film I’ve watched, and comparing what I’ve seen to the other handful of teams that are realistically of Top 25 caliber.
  14. Smith: 7-1 with a handful of quality victories, Smith hasn’t played since Dec. 9. The Pioneers are back in action on Saturday, and NEWMAC play tips off in early January. That will be the big test for Smith. So far, I think this continues to be a team that has exceeded expectations, and I think a lot of that goes back to how balanced the Pioneers are offensively. They’ve scored 60+ points in all eight games, which is not something always seen amongst top teams in the northeast region of the country.
  15. Hardin-Simmons: As previously mentioned, HSU is prepping for a big test at Emory on Saturday. Overall, the Cowgirls have largely played at the high level we anticipated they would, and in a lot of ways, a tremendous amount of credit should go towards HSU’s strong senior class. Their leadership seems to have been instrumental in the early part of the season, especially coming off the disappointing loss at ETBU. HSU is 10-1, and has won its last five, including a quality win over UT-Dallas at the very beginning of last week. The ASC is going to be an exciting conference race to follow as the rest of the season plays out.
  16. Chicago: The Maroons are 7-2 and they don’t have a bad loss, having come up short in games against UW-Whitewater and Illinois Wesleyan heading into the holiday break. The 74-68 overtime win over Carroll remains Chicago’s “best” result (in my opinion), but the Maroons have a great opportunity at two RRO victories on Friday and Saturday. Their resume could easily skyrocket if they manage to go 2-0 against Johns Hopkins and Bowdoin at another edition of the Music City Classic in Nashville.
  17. Amherst: Amherst is one of the tougher teams to judge and rank, considering the Mammoths haven’t yet played a Top 100 team. But they are 7-0 and playing at the level I expected they would, having brought everyone back from last year’s squad. Kori Barach leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, and is following up well on her stellar sophomore season in 2022-23. Definitely a player to watch once NESCAC play tips off.
  18. Johns Hopkins: The Blue Jays play in a very competitive Centennial Conference and already faced #1 NYU, so JHU knows what playing tough opponents is all about. This matchup against Chicago on Friday is especially timely considering it is a mid-season game, rather than a season-opening weekend contest like NYU was. And in a region that has Scranton, Elizabethtown, Catholic, Gettysburg, and Messiah, JHU needs every potential RRO win that it can get. The Blue Jays are 8-1, having won their last seven, and are coming off a 20-day holiday break. With their body of work so far, including wins over WashU, Marymount, and Gettysburg (along with what I’ve see from an eye test perspective), JHU definitely belongs in the Top 20 for the time being.
  19. Whitman: I was skeptical of Whitman early, but watching the Blues defeat Wartburg how they did, and battle CNU all the way through, my skepticism was clearly a bit presumptuous. The loss to Willamette back on Dec. 2 still doesn’t look great on the resume, but neither does HSU’s loss to ETBU, or Smith’s loss to Mass.-Dartmouth. Whitman holds quality wins over Pacific, Colorado College, and Wartburg at this point, which should yield at least two RRO wins for the Blues. Schematically, Whitman has been very effective when it comes to passing on offense, with good reads and well-timed passes to the post. The Blues have also been pretty consistent with their offensive rebounding, and those second-chance opportunities are huge, especially in tight games.
  20. Bowdoin: A four-point loss to what is a very good Whittier team remains Bowdoin’s only blemish, as the Polar Bears are 8-1 with wins over Springfield, Bates, and Colby. Facing Chicago on Saturday will be Bowdoin’s toughest opponent yet, and I’m excited for that one. This team is led by Sydney Jones, a junior guard who seems to make plays left and right for Bowdoin on both ends of the floor, as she averages 14.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Bowdoin has used the same starting five for all nine games this season, and there is a sense of chemistry and cohesiveness seen when watching the Polar Bears play. I would guess that consistency in the starting lineup has something to do with it.
  21. Trinity (TX): Depth is the concerning aspect of things with Trinity, and it was evident in the Tigers’ two losses in Oregon against Willamette and Puget Sound last week. Injuries certainly factored into that, with Natalie Anderson being unavailable for both games, and Maggie Robbins playing sparingly against Willamette and not at all against Puget Sound. Ava Limoncello played sparingly in both games as she came off an injury suffered against Southwestern on Dec. 2. So the impact of those injuries cannot be overstated. At the end of the day, Trinity is 8-3 with losses to really strong teams, but the performance we saw on the West Coast certainly hurt the Tigers’ Top 25 standing. We’ll see what the D3hoops.com Classic brings, as Trinity faces Ohio Northern and Framingham State on consecutive days.
  22. Trine: The Thunder are 8-2 and much like in past years, it seems the MIAA title will come down to Hope or Trine. Having watched Trine battle UW-Stout so closely, and beat Ohio Northern on the road, the Thunder are clearly playing at a Top 25 level. Early on, that was a little tougher to see, but as the season progresses, Trine is definitely solidifying itself within these rankings. Two challenging non-conference duels are on tap for the Thunder against Carnegie Mellon and Gettysburg later this week.
  23. Mary Hardin-Baylor: The Cru is 11-1 under Katie Novak-Lenoir, in her first year as head coach of the program, and currently holds an 11-game win streak after beating Berry and Millsaps in New York City. Playing with pace and rebounding incredibly well, UMHB is playing at a very high level right now. The Crusaders’ only loss came against Trinity (TX) in the season opener, and was a game that saw UMHB hold a 10-point second-half lead, only for Trinity to mount an incredible comeback and steal the win. Again, keep an eye on the ASC title race. Between UMHB, HSU, and McMurry, it will be an exciting league to watch in Region 10.
  24. DeSales: The Bulldogs continue to win with great defense, as per usual, and taking Scranton into OT was a point in their favor. They slowed down the Scranton scoring attack, and previous to that, beat Messiah by 20 in an impressive victory. DeSales is 7-2 and has a very tough start to MACF play, so keep an eye on these next few weeks for DeSales. The Bulldogs face Arcadia, Lebanon Valley, and Stevens by mid-January. All three have a legitimate shot to be regionally-ranked.
  25. Loras: The Duhawks slid into the #25 spot, and it wasn’t easy. Tufts, Elizabethtown, Webster, Catholic, and Trinity (CT) were all very much in the mix for #25, but Loras ultimately won out. 8-2 overall with a recent win over Elizabethtown in Puerto Rico looks pretty good, and the 51-36 victory over Coe back on Nov. 21 is even stronger now that Coe is off to a 10-2 start. The win over Elizabethtown showcased Loras’ offensive strengths, as the Duhawks shot 50.9 percent from the field, had 36 points in the paint, and Silvana Scarsella scored 30. If Loras can keep that kind of offensive rhythm going into ARC play, the Duhawks will be tough to beat.

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Previewing today’s must-see matchups

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December 9, 2023

Riley Zayas

We’ve arrived at the final big-time slate of games until we reach the final couple days of December. A large number of programs will take a break from games for finals and the holidays after this, so this is the last opportunity we have to see several of these top-tier programs in action for a couple of weeks.

Taking a look at the schedule, 19 members of the D3hoops.com Top 25 are in action today, and we have a number of pretty intriguing matchups, even in games involving one ranked team and one unranked team. So here are a few games that stick out to me on today’s slate, with tip-off times listed in eastern time. and rankings from the D3hoops.com Top 25 listed (when applicable) in front of the team’s name.

Messiah at #22 Mary Washington | 1:00 p.m. | Messiah struggled earlier this week against DeSales, but has a great opportunity to get back in the win column against a talented Mary Washington squad. Led by versatile guard/forward Jordan Carpenter, Mary Washington is 7-1, with the only hiccup having come in an overtime loss to Randolph-Macon. Last Saturday’s 67-60 win over Marymount was a notable victory for the Eagles, but perhaps Messiah would end up being a better quality win when this season is all said and done. Mary Washington still doesn’t have a strong win on its resume up to this point, which is one of the reasons I have not had them on my Top 25 ballot. Messiah will certainly be a good test, and Messiah comes into this game with a 5-2 mark. The Falcons will need a solid defensive effort to pick up a road win here, and they are certainly capable of that. Excited for this one.

Univ. of New England at Bates | 1:00 p.m. | Bates has been really impressive out of the gate, as the Bobcats are 7-1. They struggled against Bowdoin on Monday, but bounced back to edge a good Colby team (who has beaten Babson and MIT), 55-54, on Wednesday. UNE is 6-3, and has been inconsistent throughout those first nine games, with some very favorable wins and a couple of not-so-great losses. So I don’t know what to expect from this one. Interesting factoid for you, though…these two teams have played 10 times since the 2009-10 season…and never has one team won consecutive meetings. Bates won in OT, 86-85, the last time they played in 2018-19, so UNE is a due for a win this time around!

Dickinson at Johns Hopkins | 2:00 p.m. | I had JHU in my Top 25 this past week, and have been really impressed by the Blue Jays’ start to the season, with a 7-1 record and wins over WashU, Marymount, and Gettysburg. But Dickinson has also shown some really good stuff in this early part of the schedule, having battled Elizabethtown well in the season opener, and beaten Muhlenberg (who previously beat DeSales) on the road, 51-44. I know Dickinson didn’t look very good against Gettysburg earlier this week, but don’t count the Red Devils out. They have an effective defensive approach that should challenge JHU a little bit, especially in the opening two quarters.

Ithaca at SUNY New Paltz | 2:00 p.m. | Wanted to quickly mention this one, as it is a Region 3 matchup that could have some interesting regional ranking implications. Head-to-head wins in-region are very valuable, and both Ithaca and New Paltz have an opportunity for a H2H win over the other this afternoon. Ithaca is off to a 6-2 start, but really doesn’t have a top-quality win on its resume yet. And New Paltz is 5-1, with a notable win over Vassar (who beat Ithaca, 76-68, not too long after losing to New Paltz).

#16 Tufts at #1 NYU | 3:00 p.m. | NYU has been pretty much everything we expected the Violets to be, with incredible depth, talent, and significant margins of victory. But Tufts is the toughest opponent NYU has faced as of yet. The Violets dispatched MIT and Johns Hopkins fairly convincingly, so they have that in their favor, but Tufts matches up better against NYU in my opinion. Maggie Russell is fantastic, especially on the offensive end, but Samantha Sousa has really stepped up and is averaging 13.3 points per game right now. Sofia Gonzalez is another strong contributor, and between Sousa and Gonzalez at guard and Russell at forward, NYU will have its hands full on the defensive end. NYU certainly has enough depth to beat pretty much anybody in the country, but All-America transfer Morgan Morrison did not play against Connecticut College last Sunday, so keep an eye on her status. She has the ability to completely change a game, and if she is available, the Violets become even more of a favorite to win this matchup. Really excited to see how this one unfolds!

#9 Millikin at Carroll | 3:00 p.m. | The CCIW is a fantastic league this season, and Millikin has been so impressive, especially offensively, thus far. Led by Elyce Knudsen (27.4 PPG), this is a Millikin team that is really tough to slow down considering the depth and efficiency with which they play. But Carroll took Chicago in OT and competed well with UW-Whitewater earlier in the year, and averages 13.7 steals per game on the defensive end. I wouldn’t count the Pioneers out, though I certainly think Millikin is playing at an incredibly high level right now.

MIT at #13 Trinity (CT) | 3:30 p.m. | Trinity took a tough loss on Thursday to Roger Williams, but the Bantams are back on their home court and have a chance to head into their winter break on a high note. MIT really showed us what it could do against another high-level opponent last week, winning 66-63 at Tufts. That was huge for the Engineers’ overall resume at this point, and the question will be if they can carry that momentum with them on the road again, facing another nationally-ranked opponent. MIT entered this season with the potential for a strong year and is 5-2 at this point. A win over Trinity just might put MIT into the Top 25, but Trinity isn’t going to let that happen easily. Head coach Emily Garner will have her squad ready, and with the experience on this roster, the Bantams know how to win big games. I won’t be surprised if this one comes down to the final minute or so.

Colorado College at #23 Whitman | 7:00 p.m. | For Whitman to stay in the Top 25, this is a must-win game. And Colorado College is the toughest opponent the Blues have faced. This is a game on Whitman’s home court, but Colorado College, as one of the most remote schools in D-III (as far as proximity to other D-III programs goes) is no stranger to winning on the road. The only two losses the Tigers have suffered this season came against NYU and Tufts on a trip to the northeast, and I would expect that those matchups have helped CC identify some of its weaknesses and correct those moving forwards. The Tigers have one of the most effective post players in the country in Zoë Tomlinson (16.6 PPG, 12.3 RPG), which should aid in the effort. Whitman looked really sharp against Schreiner last night, winning in commanding fashion, 90-44. We’ll see if they can carry that momentum into tonight’s matchup. The Blues are 6-1 overall and certainly the frontrunner to claim the NWC title in a very competitive league up in the northwest.

As a quick reminder, you can find the complete schedule for today’s contests (along with links to the live stats/livestreams) on D3hoops.com.

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: IWU made a statement at Wheaton

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December 7, 2023

By Riley Zayas

Any question marks still remaining about Illinois Wesleyan’s belonging in the Top 25 were quickly erased on Wednesday night. The Titans went to Wheaton, a quality CCIW program who started the season especially strong, and made a complete statement, running away with a 74-49 victory behind a surge in the second and third quarters.

Holding Wheaton, who has an All-America caliber guard in Annie Tate, to just 49 points is incredibly impressive. The Thunder hung with the Titans for the first quarter, as IWU led 19-17 after 10 minutes, but over the next 20 minutes, Wheaton tallied just 20 points, struggling as IWU stepped up its defensive pressure. The Titans are known for their full-court pressure, and it proved especially impactful in this road victory, as IWU forced 26 turnovers, leading to 30 points. And conversely, the Titans took care of the ball especially well, with just 13 turnovers.

This was a performance worthy of recognition, because more than just the final numbers, IWU played with such an intensity and cohesiveness that was evident watching the game unfold. As I posted on X/Twitter last night, IWU is a Top 15 team right now, in my opinion. The Titans’ two losses came at Hope (by 7) and vs UW-Whitewater (by 2). Along with that, according to D3 WBB stats guru Scott Peterson, Wheaton is currently projected to have a good shot at being regionally-ranked, which gives IWU yet another RRO win. He noted that according to his numbers, IWU now has the third-most RRO wins in the nation, at 3.1. Very impressive.

When you consider they have played the last two games without standout guard Lauren Huber, that makes yesterday night’s win and the Carroll win all the more notable. Ava Bardic did return to the court against Wheaton, which was great to see, after she suffered a non-contact knee injury against Elmhurst on Nov. 30. Bardic contributed with seven points and three assists in 17 minutes, and Kate Palmer had another outstanding performance, leading the Titans with 18 points. Mallory Powers added 16, and Sara Balli had 12 off the bench. And it is more than just the scoring, too.

The defensive communication is top-notch, which will keep IWU in games throughout this season whether the Titans shoot the ball well or not, and that obviously proves invaluable because cold shooting days will happen. That said, the depth on this roster allows for anybody to step up as the leading scorer on any given night, and so far, IWU has had that. This rotation is playing at such a high level right now. Circle Dec. 16 on your calendars, because that will be a must-see matchup as IWU makes the trip to play Chicago in what should be a Top 25 duel. Big-time Region 8 matchup there.

DeSales’ defensive effort gives way to Bulldogs’ seventh straight win

Moving on…I thought DeSales was another team who did a fantastic job on the defensive end yesterday (no surprise there!) against Messiah. The Bulldogs pulled out a 64-46 victory, winning their seventh straight. While Messiah shot 42% from the field, DeSales completely kept Messiah off of the offensive boards, as Messiah tallied just three offensive rebounds and zero second-chance points. I thought DeSales’ full-court press was extremely effective against Messiah, as it challenged the Falcons in bringing the ball up the court in transition. Messiah turned the ball over 16 times leading to 17 points for DeSales. Key stat right there.

Gettysburg dominates in 30-point win over Dickinson in Centennial Conference

Gettysburg added another big win to its resume, taking down Dickinson in Centennial Conference play, as the Bullets improved to 6-2. Gettysburg jumped out to a 23-9 run and closed the game on an 18-7 run, leading to the Bullets’ 68-38 victory. I thought the offensive rhythm was outstanding, as Gettysburg shot 49.1% and was 9-of-19 from 3-point range. Considering the way Dickinson has been playing so far this season (which includes beating Messiah), a 30-point victory is huge.

Marymount gets past Randolph-Macon in key victory for the Saints

Marymount also scored a big win, defeating Randolph-Macon, 56-48, who was 6-3 overall. The Saints outrebounded RMC by 12, 35-23, which was key in this victory, including 11-3 on the offensive boards. Marymount’s critical stretch came in the third quarter, as the Saints opened the second half by outscoring RMC 23-14. This was a game Marymount really had to win and it was great to them pull out that victory, especially against a team that should be pretty competitive in the ODAC this season.

Kranson comes through with career day for Scranton

Kaci Kranson came through with 33 points in #6 Scranton’s 87-47 win over Drew, as the sophomore posted an outstanding stat line. She shot 13-of-19 from the field, 3-of-4 from 3-point range, grabbed nine rebounds (5 offensive), dished out two assists, and tallied three steals. Incredible effort both ends of the floor…just had to make sure I mentioned that stat line! Even in a one-sided win, scoring 33 is still pretty impressive.

Vassar notches key Liberty League win over Skidmore

Vassar defeated Skidmore, 64-51, in a game that could absolutely come into play come NCAA Tournament time, as those two are just behind Ithaca in the Liberty League title race. In the case that Ithaca gets the Pool A, the Liberty League has a good chance to put either Vassar or Skidmore in the tournament, but not both. This is likely a two-bid league, which made last night’s matchup all the more meaningful. Obviously, they’ll meet again in conference play, on Jan. 9, but Vassar looked fantastic, and likely picked up an RRO win in the process. It was the 19-9 start that really put Vassar in a position to control the game for the next three quarters, and while it was competitive throughout, Vassar separated itself as the better team on the court last night. Sierra McDermed posted a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double for Vassar as all five Vassar starters played at least 30 minutes. Not sure about the depth on the roster for them, but the starting five looked really strong against a talented Skidmore team.

Gerig scores 43 in an outstanding performance, but Smith takes down Williams, 76-68

I’ll wrap this up by congratulating Smith on getting past Williams, because Williams is increasingly getting better and better as the weeks progress. #10 Smith emerged with a 76-68 win last night over Williams and we were treated to some high-scoring individual performances. Arianna Gerig was fantastic for Williams, scoring 43 points on a 17-of-29 shooting day. On the other side, Sofia Rosa had 25 points and 10 boards for Smith, and Ally Yamada added 20 points for the Pioneers in the win. It was a well-played contest and Smith continues to win games against quality non-conference teams. While I was a little unsure of what we’d see from Smith this season, Rosa has made an immediate impact and overall, the Pioneers have several talented contributors who have stepped up. Smith is now 6-1 overall.

Games to watch today (all tip-off times are eastern)

#13 Trinity (CT) at Roger Williams, 7:00 p.m.—Trinity is the favorite here, but RWU could stay competitive. RWU beat Babson earlier in the year, and has won four straight coming into this one.

Maine Maritime at Husson, 7:30 p.m.—Conference games seem to bring out the best in teams, and both Maine Maritime and Husson have begun NAC play with wins. These two are likely to be in the hunt for the conference title later in the season, and this is definitely a game I see being decided late.

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Hardin-Simmons’ OT win over Trinity highlighted a key day of games across the country

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November 26, 2023

By Riley Zayas

Hope everyone had an excellent Thanksgiving holiday and a great weekend so far! We had eight games on Friday, but returned to a full slate yesterday, which gave us plenty of intriguing matchups, particularly in the Midwest. Lots of tournament action taking place, which will continue into today, along with quite a few impactful results that will play a role the next Top 25, which will be released tomorrow night.

It’s hard to say one game stood above the rest yesterday afternoon, but if I had to choose one, it’d be #16 Hardin-Simmons beating #12 Trinity in overtime, 92-88. This game was played in Abilene (At HSU), and both teams were very evenly matched. It was what many (including myself) expected in a contest between the top two teams in Texas, who are both well-coached and play with a high basketball IQ.

Watching the matchup play out, it absolutely had the feel of an NCAA Tournament game, and if we’re being completely honest, there’s a good chance it’s a first or second round tournament game again this season. That’s what happens in Region 10.

When it comes to HSU, the experience on the roster is the first thing you notice. The Cowgirls’ starting five yesterday was composed of three 5th-year seniors (one of whom is a transfer) and two true seniors. That level of game experience is hard to find anywhere in the country, much less in a program that already went 18-0 in conference play last season. That showed up, especially in overtime, as HSU took control early, and ended up outscoring Trinity, 17-13.

Trinity put up a remarkable effort, however, through all four quarters and the overtime. HSU never gained much separation for longer than a 20 or 30 seconds at a time, and Trinity fought back from a six-point deficit at the half to tie the game at the end of regulation. Trinity is definitely a big-time second-half team this season, and no halftime lead is safe against the Tigers.

Trinity actually ended up with 12 more points in the paint (48), five more points off turnovers (33), and six more fast-break points (20). Just another reason why it such a competitive game. But HSU maximized its 3-point opportunities, converting on two more 3-pointers than Trinity (finished 11-of-31). That included a key 3 from Paris Kiser with 47 seconds left in OT, which gave HSU an 87-84 lead that was held by the Cowgirls for the remainder of the contest.

Other winners of the day…

In a tight battle in the Great Lakes region, Trine overpowered Ohio Northern down the stretch, with the Thunder outscoring the Polar Bears, 19-12, in the final quarter. That was the difference, as Trine added another quality win to its resume after defeating Baldwin Wallace early in the year. Trine is now 3-1, while ONU is a surprising, 1-2, to start the 2023-24 campaign. Trine won the day, and may have added a RRO win to its resume. Not a bad performance from a team that has shown inconsistencies as of late.

Emory and Washington & Lee gave us a thrilling battle in Virginia, with the Eagles of Emory pulling out an 86-78 win. Yet another situation where the winning team trailed entering the fourth quarter. In this case, 30 points from Emory over the final 10 minutes led to the victory, and a likely RRO victory at that. Emory belongs in the Top 15, no doubt about it.

New Jersey City took down a solid SUNY New Paltz team, 75-71, moving NJCU to 2-1 on the year. NJCU outscored New Paltz 25-19 in the fourth, having trailed by two points entering the final quarter. The Gotham Knights took advantage of New Paltz’s turnovers, a product of quality defense from NJCU, and scored 30 points off 25 turnovers. Defense won out in that one.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps deserves mention in this category of “Winners of the Day” because CMS won a game for the first time this season, and did it against a solid East Texas Baptist squad. But ETBU looked a bit out of sorts last night on the West Coast, and CMS attacked early. The Athenas led 19-8 after the first quarter, and ETBU, despite a couple of strong runs, never gained the lead at any point. CMS overcame a -15 rebounding deficit by holding ETBU to a shooting percentage of just 25 percent. It was a nailbiter, especially after ETBU cut the CMS lead to two with under a minute to go, but ETBU missed three straight shots while it was a one-possession game. Congratulations to CMS on finding a way to get that first victory of the year.

Wisconsin Lutheran punched its ticket to the championship game of the Pat Deacon Classic and a matchup with top-ranked Transylvania by getting past Alma, 63-54, in Lexington, Kentucky. Alma was coming off a win over Wittenberg and WLC’s last game was a win over Hope. As it turned out, we saw a competitive neutral-court contest before WLC pulled away in the fourth, just as the Warriors did against Hope. The margin widened to as many as 14 points with 2:59 left. WLC finished with an impressive 20 assists on 24 made shots.

I don’t know if Wartburg “won the day”, but the Knights managed to avoid the upset bid from UW-Eau Claire and stay undefeated, which certainly warrants mention. UWEC led 58-53 with under five minutes left before Wartburg answered with a 9-0 run. The defense intensified down the stretch, holding the Blugolds without a made field goal for the final 4:52. Credit to Wartburg for that defensive effort, and for the quality free throw shooting (19-of-23).

WashU looked really strong against DePauw, setting up a key matchup against Illinois Wesleyan in Terre Haute, Indiana today. The Bears opened the game with a 23-13 lead and never let up, scoring 42 points in the paint. They have the advantage in the post against IWU, and will need to maximize that. Shooting 50% from the field also contributed greatly to WashU improving to an even 2-2 on the year.

Taking a look at some of the top individual performances from yesterday’s action…UW-Whitewater’s Kacie Carollo did a little bit of everything for the Warhawks in the 64-55 win at Calvin, scoring 19 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals…Emory was led by Claire Brock’s 39-point effort in the win at W&L, as she shot 7-of-10 from 3-point range and added six rebounds…On the other side of that matchup, Mary Schleusner contributed in a big way to W&L’s 52 points in the paint, tallying a total of 38 points on a 15-of-30 shooting day along with 13 rebounds, 7 of which were offensive boards…Lauren Huber put Illinois Wesleyan into the championship game of the RHIT Tournament, with a 15-point, 11-rebound, 5-assist, 4-steal effort, as she led the Titans on both ends of the floor…also for Illinois Wesleyan, Sawyer White had a strong had, with 13 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals off the bench…Carroll’s Olivia Rangel scored 28 points in her team’s win, and added 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals…WashU’s Lexy Harris led the Bears’ winning effort over DePauw, shooting 8-of-12 from the field in a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double performance…Piedmont’s Andelin Hill had 13 points and an impressive 16 rebounds in yesterday’s win over BSC, with 13 of those 16 boards coming on the offensive end…HSU’s Paris Kiser shot 5-of-8 from 3-point range in a 23-point, 9-rebound, 4-assist showing that helped lift HSU to victory.

A couple games I’ll be keeping an eye on today… (all times eastern)

#5 Rhode Island College at #13 Babson, 1:00 p.m.

#7 Trinity (CT) at #11 Smith, 2:00 p.m.

Wisconsin Lutheran vs #1 Transylvania, 3:00 p.m.

WashU vs Illinois Wesleyan (neutral court), 4:00 p.m.

Links and complete schedule can be found on d3hoops.com

Have a great rest of your weekend! I’ll have a breakdown of my new Top 25 ballot out tomorrow morning!

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ETBU women’s basketball will be in midst of national spotlight, faces LSU tonight in Tigers’ first game since winning national title

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By Riley Zayas, The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops

Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023

It was early April, and ETBU head coach Blake Arbogast and his staff found themselves at the 2023 Women’s Final Four in Dallas. LSU stole the show in Sunday’s championship game, taking down Iowa for the D-I national title on Sunday afternoon, winning under the direction of second-year head coach Kim Mulkey.

Of the eight teams in attendance–four from the D-I ranks, and two from the D-II and D-III ranks (the D-II and D-III championship games were played at the D-I Final Four in a unique setup)–LSU was the closest in proximity to the Lone Star State. After all, Baton Rouge sits just four hours and 20 minutes from Marshall, Texas, the home of ETBU.

At this point in the spring, Arbogast and his staff had struck out in pretty much all of their original queries for D-I opponents for the 2023-24 schedule, from Stephen F. Austin to Lamar, due to a variety of factors. Throughout his three-year tenure in Marshall, Arbogast had made it a point to get at least one D-I opponent on the schedule each season, giving his team a unique opportunity to face stiff competition and get the “D-I experience” in an early season exhibition.

So he decided to take a shot at getting the reigning national champions on the slate.

“Me and my staff were out at the Final Four, enjoying it, and LSU wins,” Arbogast said. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to see if they [have a date available for an exhibition].’ So I sent Mulkey an email. I didn’t think much of it.”

It was several weeks before a response found its way into his inbox. He was doubtful initially, as the days turned into weeks. But a reply from Baton Rouge came through, sure enough.

“A couple weeks go by and I originally thought, ‘Oh well, you have to shoot your shot. That’s alright.’ And then on my anniversary with my wife, I got an email from one of Mulkey’s assistants who handles scheduling, saying that they had October 26th open, asking if we could make that work.

“I said, ‘Absolutely,’ and then called my assistant and said, ‘Hey, clear October 26th. Clear whatever we had that day…because we’re going to LSU.’”

The high-level scheduling was initially met with a hint of surprise when Arbogast first mentioned it to his team. After all, per research done by ETBU’s Sports Information Department, this marks the first time in women’s college basketball history dating back to 2000 that a D-III team has faced the reigning D-I national champ to begin the season.

LSU is undoubtedly the biggest brand in women’s college basketball currently, as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team, led by a recognizable figure in Mulkey, who previously led the program at Baylor for 21 seasons. And then there’s the roster LSU has put together, with three of the Top 5 NIL earners in women’s college hoops per On3.com. That would be Angel Reese (No. 1), Flau’jae Johnson (No. 2), and Hailey Van Lith, a transfer from Louisville (No. 5). Van Lith was a key contributor to the USA 3-on-3 Women’s National Team that won gold at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup this past summer, and Reese was part of the USA Women’s National Team that finished as runners-up in the FIBA AmeriCup in July.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Arbogast added. “LSU had players who were representing our country this past summer and brought home medals and hardware as the best in the world. So it’s a great opportunity, not only for ETBU and our girls, but for D-III women’s basketball, truthfully.”

That isn’t to say putting together the scouting report has been easy. Not when you’re prepping for the nation’s top-ranked team, with a very experienced roster, who will be playing on its home court for the first time since winning it all in April. But that is a challenge Arbogast and his staff have embraced. If anything, it’s good practice considering three of ETBU’s first four non-conference opponents in the regular season are likely Top 25 teams (Trinity (TX), Elizabethtown, Christopher Newport).

“We’re excited. It’s honestly tricky when we’re doing a scouting report on the best of the best, since you’re trying to find flaws and things like that. So it’s been fun from a coaching perspective too. We’re going to go in there and try to represent the university, ourselves, and D-III the best we can.”

For the players on the ETBU roster, it is a similar feeling of excitement. In several cases, it is an opportunity to go toe-to-toe with players they have been watching on national television for years, and a team that played in front of 20,000 in an NBA arena just over six months ago.

“One of our transfers is actually from Louisiana, and idolizes Hailey Van Lith,” Arbogast said. “So she’s excited to be on the same floor as her. And we have a post player, who, for all of last year, couldn’t stop talking about Angel Reese. So I’m like, ‘Alright, well here you go.’”

When it comes to getting the nation’s No. 1 D-I team on the schedule for a preseason exhibition, or traveling to the home court of last year’s D-III national runner-up, ETBU has not shied away from difficult matchups early in the season. Much of that is a credit to the administration, Arbogast said, who have supported his program well and provided it with opportunities to go up against the best.

“Our administration is great. During that Covid year, they really understood that over 50 percent of our student population is athletes so they let us, within reason, get a full 25-game schedule. We were one of the few able to do that. So our administration does a great job at supporting athletics and having the best chance available and the best experience.

“At the end of the day, you have to play the best to see where you’re at. With the way our conference is, UT-Dallas was the No. 4 seed [in last year’s ASC Tournament] and they go win the tournament. Hardin-Simmons needed to have a good enough strength-of-schedule and resume [to get into the NCAA Tournament]. So it’s good for us to play these teams early.”

The contest will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and be broadcasted on SEC Network Plus. A radio broadcast is also available at lsusports.net/audio. Live stats can be found here.