Illinois Wesleyan keeps perfect record intact, 13 Top 25 teams in action today
Here we are on a Sunday morning, looking ahead to a massive slate of games this afternoon and evening at tournaments and classics across the country. Yesterday certainly had some excitement as well, and I’ll cover that in today’s edition of The Scoop on D3 Women’s Hoops, catching you up on what happened yesterday and what to be watching today. So here we go!
What stands out
Third-ranked Titans take Texas in 2-0 weekend
When travel delays push your arrival until after midnight, and you’re playing two hard-nosed Texas teams in the next two days, the recipe for an upset is very much there. And Trinity (TX) nearly took down #3 Illinois Wesleyan on Friday, going up by as many as 15 in the third quarter. But true to form, IWU never gave in, climbed back into it, forced OT with 6.1 seconds left in regulation, and won 94-91 in OT. Beating Trinity on Trinity’s home floor took a lot, and the reward was playing ETBU— yes, the same ETBU team that beat Wartburg by 17 just 10 days prior—only 18 hours later. And yet, IWU came away with another victory, winning 66-57. When I asked Mia Smith before the Trinity game what she wanted to see from her team on their swing through Texas, her answer was pretty clear: two wins. And two wins is what she got.
IWU is now 12-0, and more importantly, cleaned up on Saturday the main thing that held them back on Friday: turnovers. They turned it over 29 times against Trinity, but got that number down to just 12 against ETBU, while forcing 24. Flipping the turnover differential was huge in keeping IWU in control, even against an ETBU team that matched up well against the Titans in the post. It was a lower-scoring duel where defense was paramount, much different than the barnburner we got in the second half on Friday, and the ability to win in different ways is one of many things that separates this IWU team. They took care of business to close an unbelievably tough non-conference slate, and now its full steam ahead towards CCIW play.
La Crosse overcomes 30 turnovers, Wins at Guilford, 76-74
It was certainly a game of runs in Greensboro on Saturday afternoon, one that saw UWL jump out to an 18-3 lead in the first eight minutes of the opening quarter, only for Guilford to suddenly wake up and answer with a 10-0 run. Then UWL pulled back in front by 10, and Guilford responded by scoring on three straight possessions, cutting the deficit to 3. It was that kind of game throughout, one that went down to the wire in a rare WIAC vs. ODAC tilt.
The fact that UWL turned it over 30 times (especially since Guilford had just 13 TOs) and still won isn’t something you see everyday, but we know how dynamic the Eagles can be on offense. Lauryn Milne and Grace Knupp led the charge for UWL with 15 and 12 points, respectively. For the Eagles to close the win shooting 7-of-11, including 4-of-5 from 3, in the last 10 minutes, was crucial.
That’s a big win for UWL, one that puts them at 7-3 overall and very much in position to contend in the WIAC this year. It felt like UWL was getting to this point last season, and with most of their returners a year older and more experienced, the Eagles are putting together a really solid resume. To that point, keep an eye on Guilford in the ODAC. I know W&L and Bridgewater have grabbed headlines early, but I’ll say it right now: Guilford is much better than its #122 Massey rank.
Lots to learn about several Top 25 teams in the next 12 hours
Today’s upcoming slate of games is probably the best its been in the entire month of December, to be completely contest. We’ve got multiple high-leverage matchups involving nationally-ranked teams, a number of which will be played on neutral courts in Florida, along with NYU biggest test thus far, in terms of opponent Massey rating.
Middlebury has looked much better after that opening weekend loss at UChicago, and has one of the NESCAC’s most dynamic scorers on their side in Alexa Mustafaj. But will it be enough to keep pace with NYU? We’ll soon found out.
How about Trine, riding a five-game win streak into what is technically a neutral court matchup against #5 UW-Oshkosh? Oshkosh hasn’t yet faced an opponent quite like Trine (though Coe was a similar test) and Sidney Wager vs. Oshkosh’s high-level defense is going to be the matchup to watch.
Bethel pulled away from Amherst yesterday, but the competition level increases today with fourth-ranked Scranton. The Royals are looking to be the main challenger to Gustavus Adolphus in the MIAC, and an upset of Scranton is certainly possible if Elly Schmitz finds her rhythm like she did on Saturday, putting up 22 points. That said, Scranton’s depth is amongst their biggest weapons, and the way the Lady Royals defend makes for a tough day for any offense.
Overall, I think we’ll come away with several takeaways on a number of different Top 25 teams when today is all said and done. I expect we’ll see at least one Top 25 team fall to an unranked opponent, but two or three is certainly a possibility. That’s the kind of quality of today’s biggest games.
Around the Nation
Redlands’ Colbi Zurich set a new career-high at the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas, putting up 30 points on a 13-of-20 shooting day, as she accounted for 38% of Redlands’ scoring. Redlands came away with a 79-56 win over SUNY Canton.
Also in Vegas, Zoe Tomlinson tallied her fifth straight game with a double-double, leading Colorado College’s quick start in a 74-45 win over Susquehanna. Tomlinson had 26 points and 18 boards in just 28 minutes of action.
Mass-Boston, ranked #311 in Massey ratings, pulled off one of the day’s larger upsets, taking down #194 Stevens, 74-65, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Add it to the list of surprising results we’ve seen in the state of Florida so far this holiday season. Mass-Boston dominated in points in the paint, with 34 to Stevens’ 14.
Dickinson made a statement in Puerto Rico, starting on a 23-5 run en route to a big 71-52 win over Bridgewater State. BSU has now lost back-to-back games after going on a seven-game win streak. Mia Chapman had 17 points and 9 rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Today’s Games to Watch (all times ET)
#25 Messiah vs #24 Catholic, 11:00 a.m.
Bethel vs #4 Scranton, 12:00 p.m.
#23 Johns Hopkins vs Vassar, 3:00 p.m.
Trine vs #5 UW-Oshkosh, 3:30 p.m.
Middlebury at #1 NYU, 5:00 p.m.
ETBU at Trinity, 5:00 p.m.
Concordia Moorhead vs #15 Washington & Lee, 6:00 pm.
Full slate of games on D3hoops.com.