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.

The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Mid-October thoughts

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It’s time…the offseason is over. We’ve got games tipping off in less than 30 days and I can’t wait! No more posting once every other week for me, haha. At least not until April. After jumping into this blog/newsletter thing literally as the first games of the year tipped off last season, I feel both more prepared and more confident now as we head into this season. My knowledge base increased tremendously with the help of so many fans, supporters, and coaches, last season, and I truly appreciate each and every one of you for following along as I figured out how all of this worked along the way.

I am extremely excited for what this season is going to bring. I’ll be working on a very fun, insightful D3 basketball project over the course of the next couple years that I’ll write about a bit more as the season draws closer. Long story short, I’ll get to see plenty of games in lots of new places, and that has me pumped, especially as I start to look at the next few months!

But anyway, that’s probably enough of an intro. I don’t plan on changing too much with the setup of this newsletter, especially as we get into the season. I’ll still have a breakdown of my Top 25 each week on Mondays, and thoughts each morning on the previous day’s games/results. Often, I’ll change the format of those daily posts, just to keep it interesting, but all of the same content will still be there. I do my best to highlight all 10 regions and the best individual and team performances on a daily basis, but if I miss anything (because I know I will), please don’t hesitate to reach out with a comment or note. It always helps when someone draws my attention to a 30+ point game from a player or a record-setting performance from a team’s defense. Because let’s face it…there are 428 D-III women’s basketball teams…that’s a lot to follow!

As the season nears, more and more teams have released their rosters, which often gives very helpful clarification on a program’s returning group, any previously unknown transfers, and of course, which players decided to use their Covid year to return for a fifth season.

On that note, Hardin-Simmons was not included in my Early Preseason Top 30. There were too many question marks as to their stellar senior class from last season, and how many, if any, would be back. If you remember, HSU went 24-4 in 2022-23, with three of those losses coming to Trinity (TX) and finished the ASC schedule with a flawless 18-0 mark.

I came across HSU’s new roster a few days ago, and it confirmed what a few sources had previously told me. Point guard Paris Kiser, forward Parris Parmer, and guard Samantha Tatum are all back as graduate students. All three were 500-600 minute players for HSU last season, and were three of the Cowgirls’ top four leading scorers. That is incredible valuable. HSU just vaulted into my Top 25, now that these returners are confirmed. Kiki Gonzales and Kylie Ellsworth will both be back as well after seeing significant playing time (mostly off the bench) last season, and the depth on this roster will be a strength for HSU. I’ll get a chance to see them play in person here in about 22 days when they battle Baylor in an exhibition in Waco.

Let’s continue with the 5th-year discussion a little bit. As if we needed one more thing to make the WIAC interesting, Macy Nilsen is back on the roster for UW-River Falls. She was a First Team All-WIAC honoree last year and averaged 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. The Edna, Minn. native put the team on her back at multiple points last season, and with 71% of last year’s squad back, UWRF will be a tough out for any team in the WIAC. Who knows what will happen in that league from week to week. Very excited to see that conference title race unfold.

Another interesting storyline to follow will be that of Sofia Rosa, who set the Tufts program record for field goal percentage in 2019-20. After playing four years at Tufts, she joined the MIT coaching staff as an assistant last season. But her name has since resurfaced on Smith’s roster as a player! It appears that Rosa is using her 5th year and will add some serious depth in the post to a team that loses WBCA Player of the Year Morgan Morrison, who is playing her 5th year at NYU. Rosa is a 6-foot-2 center who scores well around the rim, and should be a tough matchup for any NEWMAC opponent.

Out on the West Coast, keep an eye on Amanda Inserra to be in for a big year. UC-Santa Cruz isn’t the NCAA Tournament contender they were last year (from a projections standpoint) but Inserra’s return should give the Banana Slugs a bit of a boost. She averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 boards per game last season, and on an 11-player roster, I expect she’ll be on the floor for 30+ minutes per game again. UCSC has some experience on its roster, but last year’s group was unbelievably talented. Losing a Kaylee Murphy, Ashley Kowack, or Tess Oakley-Stilson is tough. Losing all three at the same time to graduation is really difficult.

I will say, UCSC did get a bunch of D3 games, which is good to see considering how tough of a scheduling battle they have. Matchups against Whitworth, Whitman, Pomona-Pitzer, Pacific, Hamilton, NYU, UW-Platteville, and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps highlight the schedule. Monica Armstrong will be in her first year as UCSC’s head coach this season. Definitely wish her the best of luck in that new role!

Speaking of the West Coast, the Northwest Conference (NWC) might be one of the more underrated leagues in the country heading into this season. The talent and depth on some of these rosters is impressive, and I believe there are at least three legitimate NWC title contenders. Puget Sound brings back standouts in Kennedy Brown, Sophie Nilsson, and Katie Minnehan who were all very fun to watch throughout last season. They finished 21-5 and seem ready to take a step forward, especially with a non-conference schedule that includes games with UW-Stout, UW-Eau Claire, Illinois Wesleyan, Trinity (TX) and possibly John Carroll. Pacific has 99% of its roster back and they had Puget Sound’s number last season. Twice they beat the Loggers in the span of about two weeks, and missed an NCAA Tournament berth by a six-point margin in the NWC title game against Whitman. Whitman is the third contender, and they too, have a bunch of returning talent. With forwards Korin Baker and Lindsay Drango leading the way, Whitman is poised for another strong year. Carly Martin is the top returning guard, and while I think the strength of this team is at the forward/wing position, Whitman should be plenty good in the backcourt too.

As I close this out, I see that Bob Quillman has published his intervew with Transylvania head coach Juli Fulks on his podcast, the Q-Cast. It’s definitely worth a listen. Coach Fulks always has phenomenal insight, and Bob does a nice job with asking unique and insightful questions. Listen here:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwQRMPL5Ka0

I’ll end here, but updates will be coming much more frequently, especially once we get into preseason exhibitions here in about two weeks. Oct. 22 is the earliest date I have written down for D3 vs. D1 exhibitions/scrimmages as NJCU plays at Wagner. Looking forward to this season as tip off approaches! Have a great weekend.