| Eve Burke and Linfield are a win away from the NWC title after rallying past Puget Sound on Saturday afternoon . File photo by Kelly Bird, Linfield Sports Communications |
Saturday brought the end of the regular season in some places and race-shaping results in others, as Linfield seized control in the NWC, No. 7 Bowdoin swept through the NESCAC, and No. 8 Denison turned the NCAC into a two-team chase in Division III’s women’s basketball action.
Linfield is on the verge of winning its first NWC women’s basketball championship after rallying past Puget Sound, 71-66. The Wildcats trailed Puget Sound in the fourth quarter until Tana Hoekema scored seven straight points, including the go-ahead layup with 4:44 to play. Jayden Ray’s layup stretched Linfield’s lead to 64-57 before the Loggers rallied back within two. Hoekema scored again to give the Wildcats a two-possession lead with 22 seconds, and Amelia Solt sank two free throws to put the game away for Linfield.
Eve Burke led Linfield with 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and Allie Meade added 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Linfield (20-3, 13-1 NWC) leads Puget Sound by one game with two to play, but the Wildcats also hold the tiebreaker since they swept the Loggers. If Linfield defeats Lewis and Clark (6-17) on Wednesday, the Wildcats will secure the regular season crown and host the NWC tournament.
No. 7 Bowdoin completed another perfect run through the NESCAC with a 70-57 win over visiting Trinity (Conn.). After the Polar Bears led 40-21 at the half, Trinity came all the way back to take a 55-53 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Melissa Leone’s three put Bowdoin back in front and the Polar Bears held the Bantams to two points the rest of the way. Abbie Quinn led Bowdoin (22-1, 10-0 NESCAC) with 21 points and eight rebounds.
The Polar Bears have won 23 consecutive games and will host Hamilton in the NESCAC playoffs next Saturday. The rest of that playoff bracket will have to wait until Sunday’s Tufts/Bates game since the conference could finish with a four-way tie for fourth place.
The NCAC race is down to two teams after No. 9 Denison defeated No. 8 John Carroll, 57-50, and knocked the Blue Streaks out of the chase. The game turned in the third quarter when the Big Red outscored JCU 20-6 and took a six-point lead into the final quarter. Ada Taute scored 12 points and Anelly Mad-Toingué finished one point shy of a double-double (9 points, 14 rebounds) for Denison, which swept the Blue Streaks. Denison’s win, coupled with No. 10 Ohio Wesleyan defeating Wooster, sets up a likely de facto title game between the Big Red and Battling Bishops next Saturday.
No. 20 Trine secured another MIAA title with a 71-65 win at home over Calvin, taking the Thunder’s conference winning streak to 33 games. Annika Southworth scored 21 points on a convenient 7-for-11 shooting, and Trine (21-3, 15-0 MIAA) shot 50 percent as a team. The Thunder will put their conference winning streak on the line next Saturday at No. 14 Hope, which took care of Olivet, 81-43.
No. 2 Scranton blitzed Susquehanna, 94-53, and secured the top spot in the Landmark Conference playoffs. Kaci Kranson scored a career-high 39 points, and Elizabeth Bennett scored 27 points off the bench for the Royals (23-0, 16-0 Landmark).
No. 3 UW-Oshkosh clinched a share of its third straight WIAC title by rolling over UW-Stout, 73-49. The Titans shot 54 percent from the field and hit 11 three-pointers, five of which came from Sammi Beyer (22 points). The Titans are guaranteed the top spot in the WIAC tournament and, if they beat UW-La Crosse on Wednesday, could become the first team to win three straight outright WIAC titles since UW-Green Bay did it in 1980-82.
The Titans were able to celebrate earning a share of the conference crown on Senior Day because UW-River Falls knocked off No. 17 UW-Platteville for the second time this season, this time beating the Pioneers on their court, 69-65. UW-Platteville was able to force overtime when Ava Hanson split a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left in regulation, but the Falcons closed the extra period on a 7-0 run. Zoey Buchan scored 20 points for UW-River Falls (14-9, 7-5 WIAC) which owns the tiebreaker over the Pioneers by virtue of their two close victories.
Some of the most impactful games occured outside the Top 25.
Otterbein defeated Capital, 64-54, to claim the Oar rivalry trophy for the first time since 2021-22, which is also the last time the Cardinals reached 18 wins. Otterbein outrebounded the Comets, 49-40, and turned 21 offensive rebounds into 18 second-chance points. Otterbein (18-5, 12-2 OAC) entered the day one spot out of the last at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Randolph-Macon and Guilford entered the day on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble, and the Yellow Jackets should remain there after beating the Quakers, 83-75, on Senior Day. Randolph-Macon (17-6, 11-3 ODAC) shot 54 percent from the field and got 41 points combined from backcourt Erin Porter and Sam Smith. Briahna Scott scored 37 points for Guilford (18-5, 9-5 ODAC).
In other key conference clashes…
- Maine-Maritime defeated Maine-Farmington, 68-50, in a winner-takes-most battle atop the NAC. The Mariners (17-8, 16-2 NAC) held the Beavers to 27 percent shooting and scored 33 points from behind the arc. Maine Maritime moves in front of UMF and will be the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, which will determine the NAC’s representative in the NCAA Tournament.
- Pomona-Pitzer topped rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 54-45, and rearranged the SCIAC standings as that race enters its final week. The Sagehens held CMS to 27 points over the final three periods and 33 percent shooting. Emily Lee and Jadyn Lee scored 13 points each for Pomona-Pitzer (15-8, 10-4 SCIAC) which is one of four teams separated by one game at the top of that conference.
- Immaculata kept rolling through the Atlantic East Conference with an 85-57 win over Centenary (N.J.) on Senior Day. The Mighty Macs (20-3, 12-0 AEC) converted 21 Centenary turnovers into 34 points and clinched the AEC’s regular season title.
- Nazareth cruised past Elmira, 84-56, secured the Empire 8 regular season title and playoff top spot. Molly Benetti scored 18 points for the Golden Flyers (20-4, 14-1 E8), which have won 12 straight.
- DeSales moved a step closer to securing the top spot in the MAC Freedom playoffs, as the Bulldogs downed Stevens, 71-43, in Center Valley. Lindsay Bednarek netted 34 points for DeSales (16-7, 10-4 MACF), which can wrap up first place with a win over King’s on Tuesday.