CLEVELAND, OH – In the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Denison (26-2) defeated Trine (23-6) 63-54, and John Carroll (26-4) captured a 74-54 victory over SUNY New Paltz (26-3), while Ohio Wesleyan (21-6) fell 73-68 to WashU (21-6).
With the wins, the Big Red and Blue Streaks advance and will face off in the third round of the national tournament. The date, time and location of the third-round matchup will be released once all second-round games are completed.
DENISON (26-2) 63, TRINE (23-6) 54
- Denison continued its NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship run on Saturday night with a 63-54 win over Trine at Livingston Gymnasium in Granville, Ohio. The Big Red set the tone defensively from the opening tip, holding Trine to six points in the first quarter and building a 13-6 edge after 10 minutes. Denison carried a 23-15 lead into halftime, limiting clean looks and controlling the glass through the first 20 minutes.
- The Thunder pushed back in the second half, but Denison answered with its best offensive stretch in the third quarter. The Big Red outscored Trine 23-21 in the period and grew the advantage to as many as 15, then stayed composed down the stretch as Trine tried to make one last run in the fourth. Denison led for 37:17 and did not surrender a lead change on the night, closing out the nine-point win behind steady execution on both ends of the floor.
- Junior guard Abby Cooch (Clifton, VA/Bishop Ireton) powered Denison with a game-high 24 points, knocking down seven three-pointers, while fellow junior guard Ada Taute (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius College Prep) added 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks. Junior guard Violet Mitchell (Downers Grove, IL/Downers Grove North) also finished with 12 points and hit four threes as the Big Red totaled 11 triples and won the rebounding battle 42-37.
- For Trine, Hailey Cole scored 11 points and Ally Capouch added 10 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
- Denison now owns a 4-7 (.364) record on the national stage and will advance to the NCAA Division III Third Round for the first time in program history.
JOHN CARROLL (26-4) 74, SUNY NEW PALTZ (26-3) 54
- John Carroll kept its NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship run rolling on Saturday night, earning a 74-54 win over SUNY New Paltz at the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center in University Heights, Ohio. The Blue Streaks settled in after an early Hawk bucket and took control with defensive pressure and an efficient offense, carrying a 13-12 lead after the first quarter before stretching the margin to 30-25 at halftime.
- JCU broke the game open coming out of the locker room. The Blue Streaks poured in 26 points in the third quarter and extended the lead into double figures, then kept their foot on the gas in the fourth to build their largest advantage at 21 in the closing minute. JCU led for 37:07 and forced 20 turnovers, turning those miscues into 23 points while also winning the second-chance battle (14-12) and getting 19 points from the bench.
- Senior guard/forward Ava Ryncarz (Aurora, OH/Aurora) led the way for the Blue Streaks with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while adding eight rebounds. Senior guard Carmen Heuker (Botkins, OH/Botkins) finished with 10 points and four assists, and senior guard Graci Semptimphelter (Franklin, TN/Battle Ground Academy) scored 10 with six rebounds. Senior guard/forward Carly Perusek (Willoughby Hills, OH/Beaumont) was perfect from the floor (4-for-4) and added 14 points while going 6-for-8 at the line, and sophomore guard Nicci Finazzo (Willoughby Hills, OH/Gilmour Academy) chipped in seven points off the bench as John Carroll shot 48.0 percent from the field and hit nine threes.
- For SUNY New Paltz, Brianna Fitzgerald scored a game-high 28 points to go with nine rebounds and five assists.
- John Carroll improves to 4-4 (.500) in NCAA tournament play and will advance to the NCAA Division III Third Round for the first time in program history.
WASHU (21-6) 73, OHIO WESLEYAN (21-6) 68
- Ohio Wesleyan's season came to a close Saturday night after a 73-68 loss to WashU in Branch Rickey Arena. The Battling Bishops went punch-for-punch with the Bears throughout, answering every run and keeping the game within reach into the final minutes, but WashU's work on the glass and second-chance points proved to be the difference.
- The Bishops came out with energy and briefly took a 9-6 lead early, but WashU closed the opening quarter with momentum to move in front 21-18. The Bears carried a 32-28 advantage into halftime and held a slim cushion after three, leading 48-43 entering the fourth. WashU stretched the margin to as many as 14 in the final period, but Ohio Wesleyan kept battling. The Bishops matched the Bears 25-25 in the quarter and used defensive pressure to generate offense, finishing with 29 points off turnovers, before the comeback attempt came up short late.
- Junior post Macy Miller (Marysville, OH/Fairbanks) powered the Bishops with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five steals. Junior guard Nora Johns (Sewickley, PA/Quaker Valley) added 10 points and four assists, while senior forward Katie Neuhart (Delaware, OH/Delaware Christian) scored eight points. Junior guard Maddie Ebbert (Lake Orion, MI/Lake Orion) contributed seven points and six rebounds, and senior guard Mia Guscoff (Canton, OH/Massillon Perry) knocked down a pair of three-pointers as OWU continued to make plays on both ends until the final horn.
- WashU was led by Lexy Harris with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting, while Sidney Rogers added 21 points and five assists.