Whitewater steps up in Top 25 challenge
The fourth-ranked Warhawks beat #24 DePauw, 64-58, in the lone Top 25 vs. Top 25 matchup as part of an exceptional slate of games on Friday afternoon/evening
It was a game I circled on UW-Whitewater’s schedule from the beginning; a matchup between DePauw and the Warhawks. And when both teams found themselves in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25, I made sure to highlight it just for good measure. It was to be a significant test for a UW-Whitewater squad that returned several key starters but would be playing for the first time without Aleah Grundahl in the starting lineup since the 2018-19 season. That’s right, Grundahl started every game she played in at Whitewater for five consecutive seasons, bringing tremendous value to the Warhawks year after year. But with her graduation, it left behind some question marks as to where the Warhawks would turn in the post. And without Katie Hildebrandt, UWW’s 6’2 forward who started 29 games a season ago, the situation seemed even tougher for the Warhawks on Friday night against a talented, experienced DePauw squad looking for a marquee road win. But UWW stood firm on its home court, and it was the hosts who came away with a resume-boosting victory on opening day, winning 64-58 in a contest that saw UWW lead by as many as 17 midway through the fourth quarter. Both sides put together a solid performance, and I’m not sure this result alone really changes what I think of either team from a rankings standpoint. But it does give me more confidence in UW-Whitewater, considering how highly I value DePauw. For the Warhawks to show up at the level they did was pretty impressive and certainly what I’d expect from a well-coached team of that caliber. It was the first test of many for UWW in non-conference play, and overall, a pretty impactful start to the year for the nation’s fourth-ranked team.
A closer look at the result…
» The first two quarters played out with plenty of back-and-forth, as the lead changed hands four times in the first 10 minutes alone. UWW led 18-14 through the first quarter, but an 8-2 run from DePauw completely erased the Warhawks’ advantage. All eight points, including consecutive 3-pointers, came from Ava Hassel, who had 17 points for the Tigers.
» After leading 32-29 at the half, UWW took control in the third, highlighted by a 13-2 run. The Warhawks scored on six of their nine shots from the field and quickly separated themselves from DePauw, leading by 13 with just 10 minutes left.
» UWW PG Kacie Carollo was at the forefront of that second half surge, and finished with 19 points, five assists, four rebounds, and a pair of steals, contributing on both ends of the floor. 5’11 center Logan Lowry, who averaged just 5.1 min/game last season for UWW, stepped up considerably with nine points (on 4-of-5 shooting) and four rebounds in a career-high 27 minutes off the bench.
» The Warhawk defense had a lot to do with DePauw’s 21 turnovers, the most in a single regular season game for the Tigers since February 15, 2023. That led to 20 points off turnovers for UWW.
A Top 25 win for the Presidents
Washington & Jefferson secures first Top 25 win since Nov. 8, 2022, Beats #19 Baldwin Wallace, 72-67
» Interestingly, W&J’s last Top 25 win, a 67-53 victory over Marietta, also came in the Presidents’ season opener. And on top of that, Marietta and Baldwin Wallace had the same national ranking at the time of W&J’s win: #19.
» Stellanie Loutsion and Bryn Bezjak led the way for W&J on the offensive end, scoring 19 and 18 points, respectively. Bezjak was notably 7-of-10 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Baldwin Wallace’s Caely Ressler had the game’s lone double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
» W&J led 36-30 with 2:13 until halftime, but Baldwin Wallace cut that deficit to just one by the time Ressler’s 3-pointer fell through the net with 17 seconds left, capping a key 7-2 run for the Yellow Jackets. After falling behind by 3 out of the gate in the third, W&J fought back and retook the lead just three minutes into the quarter. Though Baldwin Wallace tied the score three times in the final seven minutes of the third, W&J never trailed from that point on.
Violets pick up where they left off after title run
Top-ranked NYU starts Scholar’s Classic with a statement
» NYU left no doubt, overwhelming a solid MIT squad that was picked second in the NEWMAC Preseason Poll in an 80-39 victory. The Violets held MIT to single digits in both the first and third quarters, outscoring the Engineers 36-11 in those two 10-minute stretches.
» MIT turned the ball over 32 times, the most by an NYU opponent since Brandeis had 34 turnovers on Jan. 7, 2023. 36 of NYU’s 80 points came off turnovers on Friday.
» Reigning D3hoops.com National Player of the Year Natalie Bruns put together a well-rounded performance, with 13 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a team-high 23 minutes.
By the Numbers
101 points scored by UW-Stevens Point in the Pointers win over Lakeland, marking just the sixth time in program history they’ve hit the century mark. It was the highest-scoring performance for UWSP since putting 102 on the board in a Dec. 1, 2001 win over Marian.
3,345 miles between the campuses of George Fox and Husson, two programs who met on Friday night in one of the most geographically-unique matchups of the season. George Fox won its season opener for the first time since the 2018-19 season, battling back from an 11-point first quarter deficit in a 62-59 victory.
15 points scored by Elizabethtown’s Summer McNulty in the third quarter of Elizabethtown’s 79-45 win over Marymount, aiding in the Blue Jays’ strong second half start. McNulty finished with 21 as ETown shot 8-of-13 in the third quarter, outscoring Marymount, 22-9.
Trending Up (Teams that elevated their resumes in notable ways on Friday night)
Knox is on an upward trajectory after a huge win at Loras, 64-53. The Prairie Fire outscored the Duhawks, 40-26, over the final 20 minutes, defeating an A-R-C opponent on the road for the first time since Nov. 16, 2019, when Knox won at Central, 81-72.
Western New England certainly gained some momentum with a 60-53 win at Springfield, the program’s first over the Pride since 2018. The favorite to win the CNE, the Golden Bears were led by Emma Kahn’s 18 points, which included four of WNE’s seven 3s.
Gwynedd Mercy pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the night with a 69-60 win over Muhlenberg. Scott Peterson’s preseason model had Gwynedd Mercy at #383 and Muhlenberg at #97, yet the Griffins widened their lead to double digits by the second quarter and went up by as many as 17 in the fourth. Freshman Emma Krawczendiuk had a memorable collegiate debut, scoring 15 points off the bench.
Today’s Games to Watch (all times ET)
#23 Trine at Wisconsin Lutheran, 2:00 p.m.
Ohio Wesleyan at Elizabethtown, 3:00 p.m.
#11 Gustavus Adolphus vs UW-La Crosse, 3:30 p.m.
#17 Transylvania at Redlands, 4:00 p.m.
Shenandoah at Catholic, 5:00 p.m.
Mary Hardin-Baylor at Trinity (TX), 7:00 p.m.