March 20, 2023: One game remains...
We have our national championship game set…and it is going to be incredible. It’s the perfect championship game in every way. #1 Christopher Newport will battle #2 Transylvania in a matchup of unbeatens inside a big-time arena in Dallas with only one team walking away with with its undefeated season intact. Throw in the fact that neither has won a national title and you have the makings of a game that makes it easy for writers like myself because the storylines are everywhere.
The fact that this game will be played in front of a very large crowd, with the WBCA convention taking place, thousands of D-I fans in town for the D-I Final Four, and early arrivals for the D-II national championship game (not to mention the fans from CNU and Transy who make the trip), this has the chance to be a great promoter for D-III basketball. The more attention D3 hoops gets, the wider the audience. And when the audience increases, the future can be shaped. Who knows? Maybe in 3-5 years, the national championship games for D-III basketball will no longer be on a channel (CBS Sports Network) that so few people even have. The D-II games (men and women) is on CBS every year. The D-III game is set to be played right before the D-II game in this case. Why can’t both be broadcasted to the masses on CBS?
That’s why I’m excited. Events like these can positively impact the future of the sport and this will be a showcase for D-III basketball if I’ve ever seen one. These two opponents are the two most consistent teams I have seen all year so it’s not surprising they are at this point now.
Thoughts from Saturday’s semifinals
CNU, 56—Rhode Island College, 51
I was really impressed by CNU HC Bill Broderick’s in-game adjustment defensively, going from a high-tempo man-to-man defense and into a zone as RIC took the lead. That adjustment felt like one of, if not the, main reason why CNU pulled out the win. That is not something every head coach would do, especially on the biggest stage of the season, especially because CNU had not played zone at all this season previously. Talk about faith in your team.
RIC looked very sharp in the first half, and was the surprise of this tournament for most, including myself. Though they took the loss in this one, Jenna Cosgrove did an incredible job leading RIC through these last few weeks in March. Great leadership from her. The Anchorwomen led 28-20 at halftime, as CNU struggled offensively in the opening half, including in a 7-point second quarter.
She scored just 5 points, but CNU’s Camille Malagar was key in jumpstarting CNU’s second half scoring efforts. She dished out five assists, the most for any player on either team, and led the comeback for the Captains, who outscored RIC 36-23 over the final two quarters.
Transylvania, 76—Smith, 65
Transy’s defensive intensity was key in getting the Pioneers to this point, but it was the offense that stepped up against Smith on Saturday night, as evidenced by the 24-point second quarter that put Transy in front 38-31 at halftime.
Madison Kellione played all but one minute of the game, scoring 24 points, and Dasia Thornton tallied an 28-point, 11-rebound double-double, leading Transy’s offensive efforts.
The officiating could have been better…Transy was still the better team (by a sizable amount in my opinion) but there were undoubtedly a handful of questionable calls in the second half, including a few against Smith’s Morgan Morrison that kept her on the bench for quite a while in the third quarter and into the fourth. That really hurt Smith’s chances for a comeback.
Transy shot 51.3% from the field. I’ll be very interested to see how that offense matches up against CNU’s relentless defensive pressure. Could be a major deciding factor in who wins the national title.
I am working on getting together some interesting topics to write on as we progress over the next two weeks leading up to the championship game. If you have any questions you want answered or thoughts on the world of D3 women’s hoops, feel free to shoot me an email at rileyzayas@gmail.com. You can also DM me on Twitter (@ZayasRiley).