LEXINGTON, Va. - After a pair of wins in the opening rounds of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament, the third-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball team will square off with No. 23 Bethel University (Minn.) in the Round of 16 on Friday at 8 p.m. inside Holekamp Gym.
W&L & BETHEL (MINN.) - HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Generals (30-0) extended their winning streak to 30 games, marking the most wins in program history, with a 73-44 win over St. Mary's College of Maryland in the First Round followed by a 61-55 win over No. 14 Christopher Newport in the Second Round. This marks the second time in three seasons where the Blue and White will play in the Sectional Rounds while hosting the second weekend for the first time in program history.
The Royals (24-6) are making an appearance in the Round of 16 for the first time in the 1995-96 season after a 81-73 defeat over Millsaps in the First Round before taking down Coe College 57-48 the following day. Bethel is riding an eight game winning streak into Lexington.
GENERALS BY THE NUMBERS:
Senior
Mary Schleusner continued her strong play in the opening weekend of the tournament as she averaged 14.5 points per game on 11-of-19 (58%) shooting while grabbing 12.0 rebounds per game.
Sarah Zimmerman has been a threat on both ends of the floor as she averaged 10.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in wins over SMCM and CNU. She recorded eight points and eight rebounds in the First Round win over SMCM with three blocks, three steals, and an assist before leading the team the next night with 12 points and eight boards against CNU. She also dished out six assists while stuffing four shots.
Megan Zimmerman and Quinn McGuinness added 7.5 and 7.0 points per game, respectively, for the Blue and White in the opening rounds. M. Zimmerman scored five points with a triple against St. Mary's before scoring 10 in the win over CNU on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, knocking down two of her three three-point attempts. McGuinness added six points in the opening round win with a team-high seven assists before tallying eight points against CNU with two assists and a steal.
The Blue and White have the second-best scoring offense in the pod, averaging 73.6 points per game, but have the best scoring margin at 21.0 as they hold opponents to 52.7 points. Nationally, the Generals rank fifth in points scored with 2,209 while ranking fourth in rebounding margin at 13.4. They also rank ninth in blocks per game (5.1), 10th in rebounds per game (47.8), and 11th in scoring margin (21.0).
ROYALS BY THE NUMBERS:
The Royals are led by the quartet of Emily Erickson, Elly Schmitz, Colette Duininck, and Rosalie Penke, who are all averaging double figures after the first two rounds of the tournament. Erickson leads the charge with 19.5 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game on 17-of-32 (53%) shooting. Schmitz adds 16.5 points per game with a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game along with a team-best 5-for-8 (63%) from beyond the arc. Duininck and Penke are averaging 12.0 points per game, with Duininck recording a team-best 10 assists and six steals.
In their opening-round win over Millsaps, Bethel had three players score in double figures, including 31 from Emily Erickson. Erickson shot 13-of-18 (72%) from the floor while adding five boards. Schmitz (17) and Duininck (13) reached double digits, with Schmitz knocking down three triples. In the Second Round against Coe, Schmitz and Duininck reached double figures again, with Rosalie Penke posting a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting with a pair of three-pointers.
On the season, the Royals are averaging 69.5 points per game while holding opposing offenses to 58.5 for a +11.0 margin. They rank ninth in Division III this season in free-throw percentage, knocking down 76.2% of their shots from the foul line while ranking 18th in points scored with 2,086.
DENISON & JOHN CARROLL QUICK HITTERS:
Denison and John Carroll will be meeting for the third time this season, meeting twice in the regular season during North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play. The Big Red has won both match ups, defeating the Blue Streaks 58-41 in University Heights, Ohio on Jan. 17 before securing a home win in Granville, 57-50.
Denison enters the Third Round of the tournament with a 26-2 record, with both losses coming to NCAC opponents, Ohio Wesleyan and DePauw. The Big Red rely on heavy defensive pressure, picking up man-to-man almost all game, and create havoc in the frontcourt. They rank first in the conference in steals per game (12.8) and turnovers forced per game (20.7), while also ranking 22nd in the nation in rebounds per game (45.61).
Leading the way for Denison are juniors Abby Cooch and Ada Taute, who both average around 13 points per game. Junior Violet Mitchell is having a stellar tournament, as she put up a career-high 21 points in Denison's first round game, and cashed four three-pointers in the win against Trine. Defensively, Denison is led by Anelly Mad-toingué, who averages 9.8 rebounds per game and puts up 2.8 blocks per game. She ranks sixth in the country in blocks (77) and ninth in blocks per game.NCAC Newcomer of the Year Molly Dorighi also likes to get her hands on the ball, as she has averaged four steals in two tournament games, and averages two steals per game.
The Blue Streaks are 26-4 entering the Round of 16, with two of their losses coming against the Big Red, and the other from Ohio Wesleyan. The Blue Streaks have put up 80+ points in ten games this season while ranking seventh in the country in points (2,170) and average 72.3 a game. They rank top in the country with their three-point shooting, as they are 11th in three-point percentage (34.3%) and attempt 25.5 threes a game.
Preseason All-American Ava Ryncarz and Graci Semptimphelter do bulk of the work for the Blue Streaks, as both average over 14 points per game. Ryncarz has scored 20+ points in six games this season. She has proven to be one of the top threats in Division III from beyond the arc as she ranks third in the country in three-pointers made (92) and sixth in three-pointers per game (3.07). Semptimphelter is currently on a streak of seven games of scoring in double figures, and averaged 14 points in their two tournament games.
Carly Perusek is a defensive presence for the Blue Streaks, posting 6.5 rebounds per game while registering a team-high 55 steals and 17 blocks. She is also a threat on the offensive end as she opens up opportunities for her teammates, dishing out 69 assists while averaging 6.5 points per game.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Fans without a University ID are encouraged to secure tickets in advance through HomeTown Ticketing.
Children under the age of 3: Free | Children (ages 3–12), Students (with a student ID), Seniors (65+): $10 | Adults: $15
Special Complimentary Admission Information
W&L students will receive complimentary admission on Friday night with a valid W&L Student ID. The identification must be presented at the ticket table, on the third floor of the Richard L. Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, the complimentary Admissions table will be set up at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.*
Current W&L faculty and staff are also eligible for complimentary admission to the W&L contests, sponsored by the University. A valid W&L Faculty or Staff ID must be presented at the ticket table, on the third floor of the Richard L. Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center, the complimentary Admissions table will be set up at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.*
The Office of Alumni Engagement will cover admission for alumni throughout the weekend. Alumni may gain entry by sharing their class year at the ticket table (guests are responsible for purchasing their own tickets). Alumni Engagement will also distribute pom-poms and rally rags inside Holekamp Gym prior to Friday's game. Should the Generals advance, alumni admission will again be covered for Saturday's second-round contest.
*Complimentary admission applies to the W&L ID cardholder (one ticket per valid ID) and alumni only. The University and Alumni Engagement will not cover admission for family members or guests. Guest tickets must be purchased separately through HomeTown Ticketing.
W&L Women's Basketball T-Shirt Giveaway
Limited quantities are still available for the free commemorative t-shirt at the University Store and can be picked up at the register if you did not recieve the free t-shirt last weekend. Fans, families and friends are invited to pick up a free commemorative t-shirt at the University Store registers during regular University Store hours from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The University encourages all members of the W&L community attending Friday's game to wear the shirt in support of the Generals.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE:
The Big Red and Blue Streaks will kick off the Round of 16 at 5:30 p.m. on Friday followed by the Generals and Royals at 8 p.m. The two winning teams will meet on Saturday night at 8 p.m., with the winner punching the tickets to Salem, Va. for the National Semifinals.
Live stats and live streams will be provided for all three games throughout the weekend at the following links: Live Stats |
Live Video (Denison vs. John Carroll) |
Live Video (W&L vs. Bethel)
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
