D3 WBB Daily: UW-La Crosse stuns UW-Stout, Transy wins 47th straight game
Welcome back to D3 WBB Daily! Another Wednesday night of conference action is behind us, and we saw a number of thrilling matchups across the country. As always, I’m going to highlight a few of those results in this daily newsletter, as well as a few games on today’s slate that will be worth watching. I’d highly recommend tuning into the lone Top 25 vs. Top 25 matchup of the day, as two of Texas’ best—#20 Mary Hardin-Baylor and #14 Hardin-Simmons—face off in Abilene, Texas, in a game that will have pretty significant implications on the American Southwest Conference and Region 10. The two teams also play in Belton (at UMHB) in the regular season finale on Feb. 17.
Alright, here we go…
Tipping Off
UW-La Crosse pulls of the biggest win of the night
Winning in the WIAC is tough enough. Doing so on the road is an even bigger challenge. And to accomplish that against a nationally-ranked opponent officially puts it in the “big win” category. That’s where UW-La Crosse found itself last night, as the Eagles went to #23 UW-Stout and pulled off a 67-62 victory in a surprising victory within the WIAC.
UWL was efficient on offense, shooting 41.7 percent, and I was impressed by the balance within the Eagles’ offensive attack. Four players finished with double figures in scoring for UWL and that aspect really challenged Stout’s defensive approach. But it was the turnovers from Stout that made the difference, as the Blue Devils turned the ball over 21 times, tying Stout’s highest mark for turnovers this season. That led to 18 points for UWL, as the Eagles did an excellent job of capitalizing on those turnovers, and generated that much-needed momentum, especially in a 24-14 3rd quarter.
DePauw is on a roll
Admittedly, I did not expect DePauw to be the frontrunner in the NCAC at this point in the season (considering the way Ohio Wesleyan, Oberlin, and Wittenberg were shaping up) but here we are. One of the more legendary programs in D-III, the Tigers are again in that conference title discussion in what is a very deep league. Last night saw the Tigers improve to 4-0 in the NCAC (and 11-4 overall) with a huge 70-60 victory over Wittenberg on the road. DePauw opened the game on a 23-12 run and held the lead from there, further separating the Tigers from the rest of the league. Wittenberg ended up with 40 points in the paint, but DePauw’s perimeter defense did its job, holding Wittenberg to an 0-for-7 mark from 3-point range. There is definitely some significant momentum being built up by DePauw right now.
Transylvania makes it 47 straight
#2 Transylvania’s win streak continued against Hanover last night, as the defending national champions improved to 14-0 on the year. It marked the Pioneers’ 47th straight victory, tying the mark set by UConn from 2013-2015, and making it the eighth-longest winning streak in D-III history. It is also the longest active winning streak across all three divisions of NCAA women’s hoops. Hanover was tied for first place in the HCAC entering the matchup, with a 6-0 league record, but Transy’s defense established control early. A 15-5 second quarter sent the Pioneers into halftime leading 29-13, and that level of defensive success continued through the second half. It marked the fourth time this season that Transy held an opponent below 40 points, and overall, this is what we’re used to seeing now from the Pioneers. They forced 18 turnovers in the victory, leading to 22 points, and overall, shot 42.6 percent.
Fast Breaks
» Marymount pushed #5 Christopher Newport very well last night, but CNU prevailed, extending its home winning streak to 46 straight games in an 87-77 victory. A 24-16 4th quarter from CNU had plenty to do with that, as did a career-best 28 points from Alivia Giles and 10 assists from Gabbi San Diego.
» Otterbein stunned Marietta in another fairly big win last night, and won on the road! Otterbein was 4-9 entering the matchup, but things clicked at the right time, as they ended the game on a 21-12 run. The victory came on a dramatic buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Kyla Irby, as Otterbein pulled off the improbable victory. (Link to buzzer-beater is here.)
» #18 Millikin made a statement against Wheaton in CCIW play, winning 86-47 in a game in which they led 25-11 through the first quarter. Elyce Knudsen had 22 points and Millikin shot 48.4 percent as a team, in addition to going 18-of-20 at the FT line. Had 28 points off turnovers, while Wheaton had just 2.
» While La Crosse took down Stout in WIAC play, #24 UW-Oshkosh won a key game at RV UW-Platteville, 54-47. The stats were fairly even throughout, with Oshkosh actually shooting for a lower percentage (29.8%) than Platteville (36.4%). But 21 Platteville turnovers (including 5 in the 4th) played into the outcome, as it limited the Pioneers’ total offensive possessions, and gave Oshkosh time to gain separation.
» Coe defeated Dubuque, 78-72, in ARC play, improving to 13-2 against a Dubuque squad that took #12 Wartburg into OT last week. A 24-18 4th quarter for Coe was key, after the teams entered the final 10 minutes tied at 54 apiece. Coe shot an impressive 9-of-17 from beyond the arc!
» The ODAC continues to mirror the WIAC in terms of surprising results…Guilford went on the road and pulled off an upset against Shenandoah, who was 6-0 in league play. That perfect record didn’t last for long, though, with Guilford winning 72-63. Guilford forwards Anna Giannopoulou and Courtney McMillan had near-identical stat lines, combining for 30 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks, and six steals.
Looking Ahead
Mass-Dartmouth at Southern Maine, 1:00 p.m. ET
Gettysburg at Muhlenberg, 6:00 p.m. ET
#20 Mary Hardin-Baylor at #14 Hardin-Simmons, 6:30 p.m. ET
East Texas Baptist at Texas-Dallas, 6:30 p.m. ET
That is all for now. I’ll be on Hoopsville this afternoon talking about the Women’s Top 25 alongside Gordon Mann and Scott Peterson, so tune in if you get a chance! Show starts at 1 p.m. ET today. Link to watch: https://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/index
Have a great rest of your day!