NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT 1ST & 2ND ROUND
Hosted by Wheaton College at King Arena
November 14-15, 2015FIRST ROUND GAMES - MARCH 6Hope def. Bethel University (Minn.), 75-63.: Livestats --- Video --- Boxscore ---
RecapWisconsin Lutheran College def. Wheaton, 70-67 (OT).: Livestats --- Video --- Boxscore ---
RecapSECOND ROUND GAME - MARCH 7 Hope def. Wisconsin Luthe.: Livestats ---Video --- Boxscore --- Recap
TICKET INFORMATIONAdmission for each day is for $6 for adults, $3 for students, children and senior citizens, children two years old and younger will be admitted for free. As a NCAA Championship event no free passes will be accepted. Tickets will be available at the gate one hour prior to the start of action each day and can also be purchased online at
this link for Friday's game. Advance tickets for Saturday are also available online at
this link.
LINK TO THE TOURNAMENT BRACKETLINK TO TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
TOURNAMENT PROGRAM
GAME #3: Hope College 72, Wisconsin Lutheran 47The Flying Dutch jumped out to a 22-5 lead against WLC and never trailed as Hope advances to the Sectional Semifinal next weekend.
Maura McAfee led Hope with 19 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.Brittany Berry scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and she distributed nine assists. Autumn Anderson scored nine points with seven assists and Rebekah Llorens tallied 10 points.
Kristen Schulz scored 12 points for Wisconsin Lutheran with 17 rebounds and three steals. Dallas Chladek scored a team-high 14 points with three assists. Maggie Gartner tallied 12 points for the Warriors and Christel Frey distributed seven assists.
Hope shot 48.1% (26-of-54) from the field in the game, including 45% (9-of-20) from three-point range and the Flying Dutch had an effort of 84.6% (11-of-13) at the charity stripe. The Warriors recorded a 40% (16-of-40) field goal percentage, with 42.9% (6-of-14) from three-point range and 69.2% (9-of-13) at the free throw line. Each team grabbed 28 rebounds tonight, with Hope holding a 12-10 edge on the offensive glass.
GAME #2: Wisconsin Lutheran 70, Wheaton College 67 (OT)Wisconsin Lutheran defeated Wheaton College 70-67 in overtime in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament on Friday night. The Warriors advance to the tournament's second round on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. when WLC will face Hope College.
Wheaton took an early 10-3 lead tonight, but the Warriors countered with an 8-3 run to trim the hosts’ lead to 13-11 with 11:40 remaining in the first half. WLC led the Thunder 31-30 with 1:31 remaining in the first half; however, baskets by Wheaton’s Kelly Lawson and Lauren Graham in the final 1:05 helped the Thunder hold a 35-30 lead at halftime.
The Thunder held an early 36-32 lead with 18:27 left in regulation, but the Warriors quickly responded with nine unanswered points as the guests took a 41-36 lead with 15:28 left in regulation. The two teams battled back-and-forth for the remainder of the second half with six ties and five lead changes.
Thunder junior Hannah Considine scored a basket with 6:23 left in the second half to cut the WLC lead to 58-56. Considine’s basket was the first of four consecutive field goals for the junior as she scored all of Wheaton’s eight points in the final 6:30. Considine gave Wheaton a 64-62 lead with 1:56 remaining in regulation, however, the Warriors’ Maggie Gartner countered with a basket to tie the game at 64-64 with 1:06 left in regulation. Each team missed on scoring opportunities in the final minute as the game went to overtime tied at 64 each.
Gartner gave WLC a 66-64 lead with a field goal 1:50 into the overtime period. A free throw by Wheaton’s Katie McDaniels and a layup for Considine gave the Thunder a 67-66 lead with 1:55 remaining in OT. Considine’s layup was Wheaton’s final points of the night as a basket for the Warriors’ Kristen Schulz and two free throws by Gartner secured the 70-67 win for WLC.
Considine led the Thunder with 16 points and seven rebounds, including five offensive boards. The junior scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half and in OT. McDaniels scored 12 points with six assists. Sophomore Chantal Meacham scored 12 points with six rebounds and four assists. Meacham made four three-pointers on the night. Ellie Zeller scored nine points with seven rebounds and three steals.
Kristen Schulz led the Warriors with 27 points and 20 rebounds. The WLC center also blocked four shots. Gartner scored 14 points with 12 rebounds and Christel Frey tallied 10 points with five rebounds. Caitlin Knueppel tallied nine points with five assists and Bethany Unkefer distributed eight assists.
Wisconsin Lutheran shot 43.8% (28-of-64) from the field, with 71.4% (5-of-7) from three-point range and 52.9% (9-of-17) at the free throw line. The Thunder posted a 35.6% (26-of-73) field goal percentage tonight with 38.9% (7-of-18) from three-point range and 57.1% (8-for-14) at the free throw line. WLC held a 46-45 edge in rebounding, however, Wheaton owned a 20-18 advantage on the offensive glass.
GAME #1: Hope College 75, Bethel University 63 A late first-half surge carried over into the second half for the Hope College Flying Dutch on Friday night as Hope topped Bethel University 75-63 on Friday night in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament. Hope held a 38-30 lead at halftime and remained in the lead for the second half.
Maura McAfee led Hope with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Rebekah Llorens added 18 points with 10 rebounds and four assists for the Flying Dutch. Paris Madison scored nine points for Hope. The Flying Dutch shot 45.3% (29-for-64) from the field, with 33.3% (4-of-12) from three-point range and had an effort of 65% (13-of-20) at the free throw line.
Kalli Zimmerman led Bethel with 17 points and seven rebounds. Hannah Niewald scored 11 points with three assists and Sydney Schultz added 10 points with seven rebounds. The Royals posted a 40% (22-of-55) field goal percentage, shooting 36.4% (4-of-11) behind the three-point arc and 83.3% (15-of-18) at the charity stripe.
Hope advances to the tournament's second round on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in Wheaton's King Arena. The Flying Dutch will play the winner of tonight's other first-round matchup at Wheaton between the host Thunder of Wheaton College and Wisconsin Lutheran College.
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW 
BETHEL UNIVERSITY (MINN.) ROYALSBethel University returns to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the fifth time in program history after completing one of its strongest seasons in program history. The Royals, who haven’t reached the dance since 1997, amassed a 21-6 overall record with a 14-4 mark against Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opponents.
Within their regular season performance, BU manufactured an 11-game win streak and nearly a flawless record on their home court (12-1). Additionally, Bethel made its MIAC title game debut, but fell to No. 2-ranked St. Thomas 51-65.
The Royals are led by a dynamic duo in the front court, including junior Rachel Parupsky and sophomore Kalli Zimmermann. Parupsky averages 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.6 rebounds per game. Her nearly five blocks each night ranks No. 4 across the country. Meanwhile, Zimmermann produces 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game on average.
Bethel’s backcourt features the duet of Hannah Niewald and Sydney Schultz. Together the duo averages 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.0 steals. Schultz is shooting 32.3 percent from outside the 3-point arc.
The Royals lead Division III in blocks per game with 9.2 (BPG). Bethel has won 13 of its last 15 games, with its only two losses coming against nationally-ranked St. Thomas.
Game notes provided by the Bethel University Sports Information Office.TEAM WEBSITE
TEAM STATISTICS
HOPE COLLEGE FLYING DUTCHThe Flying Dutch are making their 16th NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and ninth in 10 seasons under coach Brian Morehouse. Hope received an at-large bid after going 23-4 during the regular season. The Flying Dutch’s losses were to unbeaten Calvin three times and three-loss Wheaton once.
Junior forward Maura McAfee tops the Flying Dutch at 14.3 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this season. With 287 total rebounds, McAfee is four rebounds from becoming Hope’s single-season leader. Other double-digit scorers for Hope are senior center Rebekah Llorens at 11.6 points per game and senior guard Brittany Berry at 10.1 points per game. Berry is Hope’s single-season and career leader with 75 and 219 3-pointers, respectively.
Game notes provided by the Hope College Sports Information Office.TEAM WEBSITETEAM STATISTICS
WHEATON THUNDERWheaton is 24-3 this season. The Thunder won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship for the first time since 2007 with a 12-2 record in CCIW play. Wheaton won the 2015 CCIW Women’s Basketball Tournament last weekend to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Kent Madsen, the 2014-15 CCIW Coach of the Year, is guiding the Thunder into the postseason for the second time in three years.
Junior guard Ellie Zeller, a two-time All-CCIW honoree, leads Wheaton in scoring with 13.6 points per game she has a 47.7% (126-264) field goal percentage. Zeller has also contributed 6.1 rebounds per game, 2.5 assists per game and 1.6 steals per contest.
Junior post player Hannah Considine earned unanimous First Team All-CCIW recognition this winter. Considine heads into the NCAA Tournament with an average of 12.1 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game. Considine has a 54.9% (129-235) field goal percentage and is averaging 1.3 blocked shots per game this season.
Sophomore guard Katie McDaniels, a unanimous First Team All-CCIW pick, is averaging 12.9 points and 4.2 assists per game this season. McDaniels is shooting 82.8% (125-for-151) at the free throw line and has an average of 4.5 rebounds per game
Sophomore guard Chantal Meacham has contributed 9.3 points per game this year, with a team-record 72 three-pointers. Moriah Reeves contributed 5.6 points per game and senior Lauren Graham adds 5.1 points per outing.
TEAM WEBSITE
TEAM STATISTICS
WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE WARRIORSWisconsin Lutheran College (23-4) is making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the longest active streak among any Division III women’s basketball program in Wisconsin, and seventh in program history. WLC advanced to the Big Dance after winning the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament championship 71-51 over second-seeded Benedictine Saturday.
The Warriors enter the Division III Tournament as winners of nine straight games and 22 of their last 23.
Wisconsin Lutheran boasts the best field goal (49.5) and three-point percentage (44.0) in NCAA Division III. Individually, WLC is led by 6-3 senior center Kristen Schulz, who leads NCAA Division III in double-doubles (26), triple-doubles (2), and defensive rebounds per game (11.5). She is also second in rebounds (15.5) and blocked shots per game (5.1), and fourth in points per game (22.1). Schulz tied a NCAA Division III record Saturday with her 26th double-double of the season. Karisa Pedersen ranks second nationally in three-point percentage (47.6). Maggie Gartner and Christel Frey also average double-figures at 10.7 and 10.0 points, respectively.
Wisconsin Lutheran capped off its seventh straight NACC regular season championship with an 18-2 record. WLC defeated its conference opponents by an average of 21.7 points. The Warriors’ four losses, which include two against top 10 teams, have been by an average of just 4.75 points.
Game notes provided by the Wisconsin Lutheran Sports Information Office.TEAM WEBSITE
TEAM STATISTICS
