Tag Archives: The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops

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The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops: Week 9 WBB Top 25 Ballot breakdown

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By Riley Zayas

February 6, 2024

As the weeks go by, putting together a Top 25 ballot becomes more and more difficult, and I think a lot of that is because by this point, only four teams in the country are undefeated, and nearly everyone has a few question marks next to their resume. We know more about these teams now than we did in December, and while that allows for more informed analysis, it also creates some tough decisions to make in the bottom spots of my ballot. So anyway, here’s how my Top 25 ballot looks this week! Definitely left a couple good teams out, and added a couple teams in that I feel are on the rise.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out yesterday’s D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll! Link here: d3hoops.com/top25/women/2023-24/week9

Also a reminder that the first edition of regional rankings will be released in the next few hours, and while they are ranked alphabetically this week, they should provide us with some valuable data. I’ll have an update on that this afternoon. Link to the rankings here (this is where you’ll find them once they are made available): https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/basketball-women/d3/regional-rankings-0

Top 25 Ballot Breakdown

  1. NYU (20–0): The Violets continue to impress. In a tough stretch of UAA play that involves playing the same two teams on consecutive weeks, NYU handled it with ease. The Violets opened their road weekend at Rochester’s historic Palestra, and put 95 points on the board, which I have been informed is the highest point total for NYU ever in a single game at Rochester. Less than 48 hours later, they went to Atlanta, and beat Emory in statement fashion, 82-46. Emory, for reference, was ranked #12 in the country entering the week. NYU isn’t just winning. They are winning big, and doing so against tough UAA competition.
  2. Rhode Island College (22-0): RIC went on the road in a key Little East showdown against UMass-Dartmouth, the No. 2 team in the league, on Wednesday, and only further added to what has been a dominant regular season thus far. The 62-50 victory saw RIC win the rebounding battle by +12, score 36 points in the paint, and overcome a rough shooting day from long-range to win big. The Anchorwomen are very disciplined on the defensive end, and that cuts down on the opponent’s free throw opportunities. That element will be even more important in the NCAA Tournament, and I can also appreciate the efficiency with which RIC operates. The Anchorwomen are No. 2 nationally in overall efficiency (per D3 Datacast).
  3. Transylvania (21-0): The win streak just keeps on going for Transy, who has now won 54 straight games. It is extremely impressive, and when you talk efficiency, the Pioneers are up there with the best, ranked No. 4 in the country in overall efficiency.
  4. Gustavus Adolphus (18-1): The Gusties continue to rise and this is the highest I’ve had them all year. The league-leader in the MIAC, Gustavus has found success in pretty much every game they’ve played thus far, and even in the loss to RIC in December, I thought the Gusties really contended well with what RIC was doing offensively. A fine-tuned machine on the offensive end, Gustavus is an incredibly smart team that can score the ball quickly without using a dribble, and again, is a Top 10 efficiency team. Noticing a trend? Gustavus swept the week, with wins over St. Scholastica and Bethel.
  5. UW-Whitewater (18-3): UW-Whitewater went 0-2 this past week, falling to UW-Oshkosh at home before dropping a 69-60 game to UW-Stout on the road. The Warhawks have done more than enough work to be a Top 10 team despite dropping three of their last four, though I expect some voters will drop them a good amount more than just two spots. But there’s important context here. Kacie Carollo didn’t play against UW-Stout and she is a game-changing type of player for the Warhawks. Her absence was noticeable, but as long as I’m under the impression that Carollo will be back at some point this season, I’m not going to drop Whitewater too much. They’ve got several talented players of course, but Carollo is central to what the Warhawks run on both ends of the floor, and it will be interesting to see how voters handle Whitewater in regards to Carollo’s absence on Saturday. The credit goes to Oshkosh and Stout for winning the games itself—the WIAC is a top-tier league for a reason—but point being, I’m going to take a cautious approach with Whitewater for now, based on what I’ve seen throughout this season, rather than dropping the Warhawks too much too quick, especially if Carollo returns.
  6. Christopher Newport (21-1): CNU’s lone game of the week saw the Captains pull away from Mary Washington in a dominant fourth quarter, winning 74-56. They play Mary Washington again this week—this time on the road. CNU has, as expected, been remarkably consistent, and the fourth-quarter performances continue to be notable. In fact, CNU has outscored its opponent in the fourth quarter of every game dating back to Dec. 2.
  7. Hope (20-1): The Flying Dutch won their lone game of the week, beating St. Mary’s (IN) at home to notch yet another 20-win season. Hope now closes the season by playing three of its last four on the road, and this is the third week that I have Hope No. 7 in my ballot. The MIAA has certainly challenged Hope well this year, with single-digit games against Albion, Calvin, Alma, and Trine. Hope keeps finding ways to win, though.
  8. UW-Oshkosh (17-4): The Titans were in my preseason ballot, but a road-heavy slate in non-conference play dropped Oshkosh from my ballot for a few weeks. Now, they’re in my Top 10. A win on the road at UW-Whitewater will do that, as I continue to be struck by Oshkosh’s outstanding defensive performances through WIAC play. The Titans control their own destiny when it comes to the WIAC regular season title and beat both Whitewater and Eau Claire last week.
  9. Millikin (18-4): Millikin had somewhat of a weird week, despite going 2-0. North Park put 91 points on them as the Big Blue won 110-91, and Millikin won by just five, 61-56, at Wheaton on Saturday. On Jan. 10, for comparison, Millikin beat Wheaton 86-47. So that’s somewhat surprising, and the same goes for the North Park result. Millikin held NP to 62 points the last time they met on Jan. 13. As far as I know, no injuries were involved. But every now and again, especially on the heels of playing two Top 25 opponents the week prior, the season starts to wear on a team. Perhaps that’s what we saw last week. Regardless, Millikin continues to win, and currently holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Illinois Wesleyan who I have just one spot behind.
  10. Illinois Wesleyan (17-4): The Titans won their lone game of the week, beating Wheaton at home, 78-57. IWU is barely behind Millikin for me, and a lot of that is the head-to-head results against the Big Blue a couple weeks ago, though Millikin is also slightly ahead of IWU in efficiency. But I continue to hold to the fact that IWU is a Top 10 team, both resume-wise, and based on the eye test, having seen the Titans progression over the course of this season. The defensive intensity seems to have taken a step forward the last week or so as well, and we saw it with 28 Wheaton turnovers last Wednesday.
  11. Wartburg (20-2): The Knights took a step forward this week for me, moving up three spots from last week’s ballot. Beating Loras in overtime gave Wartburg the season sweep over the Duhawks, 2-0, and there’s a good possibility we see them meet again in the ARC title game. Wartburg is playing well and seems to have gotten past some of the struggles that led to a couple one-sided losses to Whitman and WashU in December. Through the second half of this season, Wartburg has found ways to win, and the victory over Loras, combined with losses by Catholic, Bowdoin, and Johns Hopkins, gave me an opportunity to move Wartburg up, just outside the Top 10.
  12. Bowdoin (20-2): Bowdoin split the weekend in NESCAC play, taking its first loss in the league at Bates, 72-57, before defeating Tufts, 77-63. The Polar Bears dropped a few spots in my ballot this week, but I think Bowdoin’s body of work speaks for itself. Also worth noting is that Bowdoin beat Bates, 68-48, in a non-conference game back on Dec. 4. So while Friday’s loss to Bates is more recent, this is a Bowdoin team that beat the other 7-1 NESCAC team by 20 earlier in the season.
  13. Catholic (20-1): The Landmark Conference is tough at the top, and Scranton took down Catholic on Saturday in a 1-1 week for the Cardinals. Their 20-win streak came to a close, but Catholic remains No. 1 in the Landmark and despite the lower SOS, has posted some nice wins, especially within league play. The win over a talented Elizabethtown team at home on Wednesday keeps Catholic in my Top 15, as that is a solid victory and season sweep that increases Catholic’s resume in my eyes.
  14. Johns Hopkins (18-2): The Blue Jays fell two spots in my ballot as Wartburg moved ahead, with JHU taking a tough loss to Gettysburg last Wednesday, 78-67. It was JHU’s lone result of the week, and the Blue Jays ended up splitting the season series, 1-1, with the Bullets. I’ve spoken quite a bit about how impressive JHU has been this season, and previous performances are keeping the Blue Jays narrowly ahead of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Scranton.
  15. Mary Hardin-Baylor (19-2): The Cru picked up a pair of wins at home this past week against Sul Ross State and Howard Payne, tying last year’s overall win total (19). UMHB is the top team in Region 10 and is in a very good spot with the regular season nearing the finish line. Notably, leading scorer and All-American Arieona Rosborough did not play in either victory this week, but UMHB saw Remi Adeleke, Alexia Carmosino, and Lauren Baker step up in big ways.
  16. Scranton (19-2): Seeing Scranton beat Catholic on Saturday is a marquee win that will keep Scranton right towards the top half of the Region 3 rankings. It was a victory the Lady Royals desperately needed, having lost to Catholic and Elizabethtown already this season. But as the season has progressed, Scranton has found more of a rhythm, and now has a win over a Massey Top 25 team.
  17. Carroll (17-4): Carroll is having one of its best seasons to date, and that includes beating Millikin twice. Carroll won at Carthage and rolled over North Park at home for yet another 2-0 week, the Pioneers are currently tied with IWU for first place in the CCIW, half a game ahead of Millikin. Wheaton and North Central are up next for Carroll, who currently boasts the top scoring defense in the CCIW (61.9 PPG).
  18. Emory (16-4): Emory has been an interesting team this year, with solid wins over Washington & Lee (away), Hardin-Simmons (home), WashU (away). But at the same time, the Eagles have not contended with NYU to much of a degree in either of the two meetings against the Violets the last two weeks. Maybe that just says a lot about NYU, so I don’t want to knock Emory too much, considering the 6-3 UAA record the Eagles currently hold. Led by Claire Brock and Daniella Aronksy, Emory has experienced talent on its roster; the perfect type of team for a strong NCAA Tournament run. But I would’ve liked to have seen Emory compete with NYU a little bit more to stay in that Top 15 mix. There’s just so many great teams right now as well, that this middle portion of this ballot is very difficult. Carroll, Scranton, and Emory all could easily be Top 15 teams, but just got pushed a little further down on the ballot this week.
  19. Hardin-Simmons (19-3): The head-to-head result against Emory—a 76-68 road loss on Dec. 30—hurts HSU a little bit here, considering HSU and Emory ended up around the same spot. There’s a lot to like about HSU with its effective and high-scoring offense, as the Cowgirl offense is ranked No. 4 in the nation by Massey. I do think the defense is more of a struggle than initially expected, and we’ve seen that in several games so far, as HSU can outscore just about everybody in the ASC, but hasn’t been the best when it comes to picking up defensive stops at a consistent rate.
  20. Gettysburg (17-4): The previously-mentioned win over Johns Hopkins pushes Gettysburg up five spots this week in my ranking. The Bullets played at a high-level on both ends of the floor against JHU, and got off to a fast start that carried them through the final three quarters. A 61-60 win over Haverford on Saturday was a bit too close for comfort, but once again, we saw the Bullets get off to a fast start. Gettysburg has now won 11 straight games, and is carrying plenty of momentum into the final two weeks of the regular season. I definitely think this is a team on the rise and one that could make some noise come tournament time.
  21. Bates (19-3): The big win over Bowdoin definitely gave me confidence in Bates’ place within my Top 25, and while the loss to Colby on Saturday is a bit of a surprise, it is not a loss that knocks Bates out of the Top 25, in my opinion. Had Colby won by 15, that would be a different story, but they didn’t. They won by two after trailing entering the fourth quarter. Certainly a tough way for Bates to have its perfect NESCAC record snapped, but for my ranking purposes, it helps the Bobcats, considering the narrow margin. Bates only beat Colby by a single point the first time they played (as a non-conference game), so it was not a great shock to see Colby contend with the Bobcats in the way they did. And I’d also add that in Bowdoin’s only other loss (to Whittier), the Polar Bears fell by just four, which makes Bates’ 15-point win that much more noteworthy.
  22. Loras (17-3): The loss to Wartburg is tough for Loras, considering the Duhawks made a big run to get back into the game and push the contest into overtime. But even in the loss, I think we saw that Loras is right there with Wartburg, and perhaps the gap between the two teams is closer than I have it here. I like Loras a lot, especially with how many players the Duhawks returned from last year’s successful squad, and after a slower start to the season, it seems Loras has finally clicked offensively under first-year head coach Justin Busch. The defense has really been there all season. The Duhawks got back in the win column with a victory at Central on Saturday, though I do expect they’ll drop a couple spots in the poll itself from No. 19 (Update: they did…Loras is now #22).
  23. Smith (17-3): Smith picked up a pretty solid road win at Coast Guard on Wednesday before dominating against Clark, but I am keeping Smith low. We’ve seen pretty solid wins over MIT, Trinity (CT), Springfield, but two of those three came by three points or fewer. And then you have the recent loss to Springfield, and losses to Dickinson and UMass-Dartmouth. Those all came by five points or less. So Smith hasn’t been blown out, but they also aren’t beating anyone of top quality by a significant margin either.
  24. DeSales (19-2): DeSales won at King’s and at home against FDU-Florham this past week, as the Bulldogs near the 20-win mark. The issue with DeSales, as it is with Washington & Lee, Webster, and a few others, is the lack of quality results. They have one Massey Top 100 win, currently (against Messiah). But I have seen the defense really step up for DeSales, and the 12-game win streak doesn’t hurt either.
  25. Ohio Wesleyan (17-4): As it turned out, I was the only Ohio Wesleyan voter. This 25th spot was a toss-up between a few teams, but at the end of the day, I think OWU makes up for the lower winning percentage with some higher-quality results. I’ve been saying since late last season that OWU was going to be a real contender out of Region 7 this year, but early on, I wasn’t sure that was the case. A loss to Muskingum pretty much took OWU out of contention for a Top 25 spot, but that was on Nov. 29. Since that point, the Bishops have beaten Albion by 12, won twice against Oberlin and Denison, and took down a strong DePauw team by 10 at home this past Saturday. The DePauw win pushed OWU just a little bit higher, and into that final spot of my ballot. OWU brought back just about everyone from last year’s NCAC Tournament Championship team and I believe that has played into this success.

I hope I was able to provide some background and insight behind my ballot turning out the way it did this week! Once again, stay tuned on those regional rankings. I’ve also been working on some bracketology that should hopefully become more clear in the next week or so, though bracketing in the D-III tournament is so difficult considering the mileage limits and the different ways the committee can arrange the first weekend pods. Have a great rest of your day! I’ll check back in soon.

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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