Higher Seeds Hold in NCAC Women's Basketball Quarterfinals

CLEVELAND, OH – No. 3 John Carroll and No. 4 DePauw collected victories in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Blue Streaks earned a 62-45 win over No. 6 Oberlin, while the Tigers defeated No. 5 Wittenberg, 68-31.
 
With the quarterfinal wins, DePauw and John Carroll will advance to the semifinal round on Thursday, February 26, at Denison University. The Tigers will take on top-seeded Denison at 5:00 p.m., while the Blue Streaks will face No. 2 seeded Ohio Wesleyan at 7:30 p.m. The gym will be cleared between the first and second game and separate tickets will be required for each semifinal game.
 
The semifinal winners will square off for the 2026 NCAC tournament title on Saturday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m. in Granville, Ohio. The game will be part of a doubleheader with the men, who will play after the women’s final at 7:00 p.m. The gym will be cleared in between those games and separate tickets will be required for both contests.
 
#4 DEPAUW (17-9) 68, #5 WITTENBERG (12-14) 31
  • Wittenberg opened the scoring with a three-pointer from junior guard Madi Barnett (Cincinnati, OH/Kings), but DePauw responded right away as senior guard Riley Mont (Aurora, IL/West Aurora) buried a triple to tie the game at three with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter. The teams traded baskets through the opening stretch, with Wittenberg last in front, 16-14, after sophomore wing Molly Mossing (Cedarville, OH/Cedarville) added a layup at 2:24. DePauw answered as junior forward Olivia Hart (Murfreesboro, TN/Central Magnet) hit a jumper to knot the score, then took the lead for good as Hart converted a layup and free throw on the next possession to make it 19-16 heading into the second quarter. DePauw turned the game with its defense and a steady offensive pace, holding Wittenberg to four points in the second quarter to take a 37-20 halftime lead.
  • The Indiana Tigers then put the game out of reach with a 19-5 third quarter thanks to hot shooting from Hart and Mont. DePauw then finished off the 68-31 win with a 12-6 scoring advantage in the final frame.
  • Hart led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 mark at the line. Mont added 12 points while going a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, and senior guard Lily Huntzinger (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville) finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
  • Wittenberg was paced by senior wing Karsen Karlblom (Crystal Lake, IL/Prairie Ridge) with nine points, while Mossing contributed eight points and five rebounds and junior wing Karley Moore (Tipp City, OH/Bethel) added five points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocks.
  • With the win, DePauw increases its NCAC tournament winning percentage to .886 (31-4) and looks to advance into the tournament final for the 10th time in program history.
#3 JOHN CARROLL (23-3) 62, #6 OBERLIN (8-18) 45
  • A three-pointer from senior guard Graci Semptimphelter (Franklin, TN/Battle Ground Academy) at the 8:23 mark of the first quarter gave John Carroll the game’s first lead, 3-0, before Oberlin answered as junior forward Krystal Montas (Sarasota, FL/Riverview) hit a triple to even things up, 3-3, at 6:17. The Blue Streaks quickly regained control behind threes from sophomore guard Nicci Finazzo (Willoughy Hills, OH/Gilmour Academy) and junior guard Brooke Laub (Avon, OH/Avon) and carried a 12-5 edge after one quarter, and then used a four-minute 10-0 run in the second quarter to take a 26-13 advantage into halftime.
  • John Carroll created separation coming out of the break, outscoring Oberlin 25-15 in the third quarter to push the lead to 51-28 heading into the fourth. The Yeowomen made a late push outscoring the Blue Streaks 17-11 in the final quarter, but the JCU cushion held as they closed out the 62-45 win.
  • Oberlin was led by sophomore guard/forward Gabby Peña-Hilzen (Miami, FL/Ransom Everglades), who netted a game-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, while senior guard Angela Kumler (New Concord, OH/John Glenn) added nine points, to go along with a team-high six rebounds, and a game-high seven steals. Senior guard Lily Najmulski (Denver, CO/Denver East) chipped in four points, five rebounds, and four assists.
  • John Carroll had two players reach double figures, led by Semptimphelter with 13 points and four steals, and Finazzo with 11 points. Senior guard/forward Carly Perusek (Willoughby Hills, OH/Beaumont) posted seven points and eight rebounds, while Laub added five points and a game-high seven assists.
  • Making its NCAC Tournament debut, the John Carroll women’s basketball team  collected its first North Coast postseason victory. With the win, the Blue Streaks are one win away from reaching the tourney final in their first season in the league.

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