Denison Women’s Basketball Advances Into NCAA Title Game

SALEM, VA -- Denison (29-2) collected an 82-61 win over UW-Oshkosh (28-4) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament on Thursday.
 
With the program’s first-ever semifinal victory, the Big Red advance into the championship title game. Denison will face the winner of tonight’s semifinal matchup between No. 2 Scranton (31-0) versus No. 1 NYU (29-0). The NCAA Division III final is set for Saturday, March 21, at 4:00 p.m. in the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia.
 
DENISON (29-2) 82, UW-OSHKOSH (28-4) 61
  • Denison set the tone early with aggressive defense and efficient offense, jumping out to a 6-0 lead behind baskets from first-year guard Molly Dorighi (Englewood, CO/Cherry Creek) and junior guard Abby Cooch (Clifton, VA/Bishop Ireton). The Big Red forced multiple turnovers and controlled the glass, with junior guard Ada Taute (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep) fueling a key run by turning steals into transition points as Denison pushed its advantage into double digits. Despite a late three from Wis.-Oshkosh, the Big Red remained in control and led 22-7 at the end of the first quarter.
  • The second quarter, much like the first, would be controlled by Denison. The Big Red maintained a comfortable lead behind balanced scoring and strong ball movement. Buckets from senior guard Brooke Toigo (Ada, MI/Forest Hills Eastern), Cooch, and Taute helped stretch the advantage past 20 points, while Junior guard Violet Mitchell (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove North) provided a spark with multiple key scores. Despite a brief push from Wis.-Oshkosh at the free throw line, Denison answered late and took a 42-19 lead into halftime. The Big Red held the Titans to 7-for-35 shooting from the floor, while Denison shot 16-for-33 and held a 28-19 rebound advantage.
  • Denison maintained its momentum in the third quarter, pushing its lead past 20 behind balanced scoring from Mitchell, Cooch, and Toigo. Wis.-Oshkosh made a brief run midway through the period, but the Big Red responded with key baskets from junior guard/forward Adelyn Moore (Caro, MI/Caro) and sophomore post Anelly Mad-toingué (Wellesley, MA/Dana Hall) to steady the lead. Dorighi capped the quarter with a late layup as Denison remained firmly in control, taking a 59-39 advantage into the final period.
  • Denison continued to control the game in the fourth quarter, answering early Wis.-Oshkosh baskets with scores from Mad-toingué and Dorighi to maintain a comfortable lead. The Big Red extended their advantage midway through the period with key contributions from Moore, Toigo, and Cooch, pushing the margin past 20 points. With the game in hand, Denison’s depth took over late as sophomore guard Gillian Magner (Hopewell, NJ/Hopewell Valley) capped the scoring, securing an 82-61 victory.
  • Taute netted 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, including two three-pointers, while adding a game-high nine rebounds, three assists, three steals, and three blocks to anchor both ends of the floor. Toigo and Cooch each scored 13 points, with Toigo hitting three triples and grabbing two rebounds, while Cooch added six rebounds and six assists. Mad-toingué controlled the paint with eight rebounds and two blocks, Moore contributed 11 points with two assists and a steal, and Dorighi added eight points along with a rebound, a steal, and a block as Denison balanced scoring, defense, and playmaking to secure the win.
  • Denison improves to 7-7 (.500) on the national stage and will advance to the NCAA Division III title game for the first time in program history.

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