Low Seeds Prevail in NCAC Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals

CLEVELAND, OH – No. 6 Hiram and No. 5 Wittenberg claimed victories in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 NCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Terriers upset No. 3 Denison 61-56, while the Tigers bested No. 4 Oberlin 60-42.
 
Hiram and Wittenberg will advance to the semifinal round on Friday, February 28, at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Tigers will take on top seeded Ohio Wesleyan at 5:00 p.m., while the Terriers will face No. 2 seeded DePauw at 7:00 p.m.
 
The semifinal winners will square off for the 2025 NCAC tournament title on Saturday, March 1, at 4:00 p.m. in Delaware, Ohio.
 
#6 HIRAM (12-14) 61, #3 DENISON (15-11) 56
  • Denison and Hiram would trade baskets through the first three minutes of action before the Terriers took a 6-4 with 5:54 remaining in the first quarter and did not relinquish the advantage through the second quarter, ending the half up 31-17.
  • Hiram would extend its lead to 46-29 through the third quarter, while Denison would use back-to-back three-pointers late in the game to pull within three, but the Terriers held on to advance past the quarterfinal round for the first time in program history.
  • Hiram first-year point guard Isabella Caceres (Cypress, CA/Cypress) led the Terriers with 18 points and five assists, to go along with five defensive boards, two steals and one block. Junior forward Ava Mory (Garrettsville, OH/Crestwood) followed Caceres in scoring for the Terriers with 17 points, while adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal. Rookie forward Maya Joiner (Canton, MI/Canton) gathered a game-high 13 rebounds for Hiram and earned a game-high five blocks, to go along with nine points, four assists and one steal.
  • Denison sophomore guard Abby Cooch (Clifton, VA/Bishop Ireton) led all scorers with 19 points and dished a game-high seven assists, while adding a team-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Adelyn Moore (Caro, MI/Caro) followed Cooch with nine points for the Big Red, to go along with five rebounds, one assist and one steal, while senior guard Maddie Goodman (Delaware, OH/Olentangy Berlin) earned a team-high four blocks, to go along with eight points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist.
  • Cooch and Hiram graduate student guard Anastasia Lawler (Hudson, OH/Hudson) tied for the game-high with five steals apiece.
  • As a team, Hiram was more efficient than Denison, shooting 35.0 percent (21-of-60) from the floor, 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from behind the arc and 66.7 percent (14-for-21) from the charity stripe.
  • The Big Red held a slight advantage on the boards (35-34) and had the edge with points in the paint (24-22) over the Terriers.
#5 WITTENBERG (17-9) 60, #4 OBERLIN (14-12) 42
  • A layup and a three-pointer just 53 seconds into the game would put Wittenberg up 5-0, before Oberlin answered with back-to-back layups to bring the score to 5-4 at 6:14 in the first quarter. The two teams would trade baskets with the Yeowomen taking an 8-7 advantage before the Tigers took back the lead at 10-9 that they never relinquished throughout the remainder of the game.
  • With the win, Wittenberg increases its NCAC tournament winning percentage to .688 (55-25) and looks to advance into the tournament final for the 17th time in program history.
  • Wittenberg senior guard Jazmyn Gaines-Burns (Bladensburg, MD/Elizabeth Seton) led all scores with 11 points, to go along with four rebounds and one steal, while junior wing Karsen Karlblom (Crystal Lake, IL/Prairie Ridge) was second in scoring for the Tigers with 10 points, while adding five boards, three assists, two steals and one block. Senior guard Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, OH/Princeton) dished a game-high six assists for Wittenberg and added five points, four rebounds, and two steals, while forward classmate Riane Burton (Houston, TX/ Cypress Ranch) tied for the game-high in rebounds with six, and added seven points and two steals.
  • Oberlin junior forward Angela Kumler (New Concord, OH/John Glenn) led the Yeowomen with nine points and added a game-high six steals and two blocks, to go along with five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore forward/center Krystal Montas (Sarasota, FL/Riverview) tied for the game-high with six rebounds and tallied seven points and two steals off the bench for the Yeowomen, while junior guard Anora Lee (Kingwood, TX/The Village School) dished a team-high five assists.
  • Wittenberg was more efficient than Oberlin, shooting 39.6 percent (19-of-48) from the field, 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from three and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the line.
  • The Tigers out rebounded (38-32) and slightly outpaced the Yeowomen on fast-break points (12-9), while Oberlin held the advantage with points in the paint (22-18) and second-chance points (9-8).

Related Stories

Related Videos

Now Playing: