| Natalie Gricius led Carroll past DePauw for the Pioneers’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2007. Carroll University athletics file photo |
Natalie Gricius’ big night lifted Carroll past DePauw while Caydee Kirkham carried 11-seed Coe to victory on a night dominated by the higher seeds. Elsewhere, OAC reps Baldwin Wallace and Otterbein dominated their first-round foes and Whitman took West Coast bragging rights in the first round of the Division III women’s basketball tournament.
Playing in front of a boisterous home crowd, Carroll outscored DePauw 25-10 in the fourth quarter with more than half of those points coming from the All-American Gricius. Her three-point play ignited a 14-1 run in which she scored nine points, including two free throws that gave the Pioneers a 72-64 lead. DePauw guard Riley Mont hit a three that pulled the Tigers within five, but Gricius sank two more free throws, and the Pioneers’ defense held the fort for the 74-67 win.
Gricius finished with 39 points on 12-for-24 shooting and went 11 for 13 from the foul line for Carroll (23-5). Mont led four players in double scoring for DePauw (19-10), which also got 14 points and five rebounds from Olivia Hart. Box score
Carroll’s victory was part of a clean sweep for the home teams as they went 16-0 in the first round.
Millsaps made the long trip from Jackson, Mississippi to Arden Hills, Minnesota and pushed host Bethel before the Royals pulled away for an 81-73 victory. The Majors held a six-point lead late in the third quarter until Bethel closed that period on a 7-0 spurt capped by Rosalie Penke’s three-pointer. Emily Erickson opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play for Bethel and Colette Duininck sank five free throws in the final minute to seal the Royals’ win. Erickson scored 31 points in just 28 minutes, and Elly Schmitz added 17 points and five rebounds off the bench for Bethel (23-6). Tia Anderson posted 24 points and 13 boards for Millsaps (21-8).
UW-Whitewater overcame a rough night at the foul line and made enough shots to hold off Transylvania, 70-65. The Warhawks were just 14 for 25 from the foul line, but Bri McCurdy sank two free throws with 13 seconds left to give UW-Whitewater a 68-65 lead. The Warhawks denied the Pioneers a shot attempt on their next possession, and Renee Rittmeyer drained two more free throws to put the game away. Mia Gillis tallied 22 points, six rebounds, and three blocks for UW-Whitewater (20-8) while Sierra Kemelgor paced Transylvania (24-6) with 23 points and eight rebounds.
The OAC sent two teams to the Tournament, and both looked impressive.
Baldwin Wallace shot 49 percent from the field and hit nine 3-pointers in a 75-51 win over William Paterson at Johns Hopkins’ regional. The Yellow Jackets dominated the Pioneers inside, outrebounding them by 16 and outscoring them in the paint by 14. Baldwin Wallace (25-3) will play Johns Hopkins on Saturday night since the Blue Jays breezed past Hunter, 100-59.
Youth was served in Northeast Pennsylvania where Otterbein took down Randolph-Macon, 60-45, at Scanton’s regional. First-year center Cameron Sparks had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and sophomore Mattie Walburn added 12 more for the Cardinals (23-5), who also earned head coach Diana Noles her 100th career victory. Otterbein will face second-ranked Scranton after the Royals dismantled Framingham State, 104-39.
Top seeds usually dominate the first round of the women’s Tournament, but Friday’s results were even chalkier than usual.
Higher seeds went 30-2, and one of those two losses was a 9-over-8 result where Christopher Newport defeated Gettysburg, 74-62. The Captains were sharp on offense in the second half and pulled away from the Bullets by shooting 8-for-12 in the fourth quarter. Mia Wilson scored seven of 17 points in the final period for Christopher Newport (24-5). The Captains will battle undefeated Washington and Lee on Saturday night. The Generals advanced past St. Mary’s (Md.) easily, 73-44.
Coe was the lone lower seed to advance on Friday night as the Kohawks eliminated five-seed UW-Platteville, 69-51. ARC Player of the Year Caydee Kirkham had another outstanding game for Coe (22-6), scoring 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting, and fellow All-Conference honoree Audrie Helmrichs had a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds). Ella Mackiewicz scored 19 points for the Pioneers (18-9) who were making their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
The two western most teams in the bracket left the Pacific coast and met in Texas where Whitman defeated Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 70-54. The Blues pulled away in the fourth quarter on back-to-back threes from Kaella Peters that gave Whitman a 52-43 lead. Whitman (21-7) went 15 for 18 from the foul line and had four starters score double figures, led by Holly Morgan who had 19. Whitman will play regional host Hardin-Simmons since the Cowgirls took care of Austin, 73-51.
Trine shot 57 percent and 50 percent from behind the arc with 11 three-pointers in a 90-45 domination of Shenandoah. The Thunder outscored the Hornets 55-22 in the middle periods and had a 45-3 bench scoring advantage. Ally Capouch scored 19 points for Trine (23-5) who will face Denison next. The Big Red had little trouble advancing past Southern Virginia, 82-47.
MAC Commonwealth Player of the Year Liv Monturo errupted for 33 points, and Messiah knocked off Cortland, 64-58. After the Cortland tied the game at 53 on Brooke Tillotson’s three-pointer, Monturo gave the Falcons the lead for good with back-to-back layups. Monturo took more than half of the Falcons’ shots (27 out of 52) and made 14 of them. Charlotte Milanesi also played well for Messiah, registering 13 points, nine assists and four blocks. Next up is No. 1 New York University after the Violets drilled Maine-Farmington, 108-44, for their 88th consecutive victory.
Southern Maine used dazzling defense to down Johnson and Wcihales, 62-46, and pick up its first NCAA Tournament win since 2010. The Huskies held Johnson and Wales All-American Grace Jaffray, who averages nearly 23 points per game, to no points on seven field goal attempts. Little East Player of the Year Jaycie Christopher tallied 16 points for Southern Maine (26-2), which will fast rival Bowdoin in Saturday’s second round. The Polar Bears held off Emmanuel, 51-42, behind 12 points and nine boards from Grace Kinum.
SUNY New Paltz got 48 points and 29 rebounds from Brianna Fitzgerald and Karly Wittenbauer, and the Hawks ousted Immaculata, 67-51. Four starters played at least 37 minutes for SUNY New Paltz (26-2), which draws John Carroll in the second round. The Blue Streaks breezed past TCNJ, 84-49, thanks to 59 percent shooting (34 for 58) and a double-double (17 points, 19 rebounds) for Ava Ryncarz.