| Messiah College Falcons (No. 12 WBCA/No. 15 D3Hoops |
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Location: Grantham, Pa.
Coach: Mike Miller (32nd season, 621-235 at Messiah entering the weekend)
2017-18 Record: 25-2, 15-1 MAC Commonwealth
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 18th (1996, 2000-2014, 2017-2018)
Last NCAA Tournament Result: 2017 NCAA First Round, lost to Babson College 59-53
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How the Falcons got here: The Falcons, ranked No. 12 in the most recent WBCA Poll, enter the NCAA Tournament with a 25-2 overall record, and they went 15-1 in the MAC Commonwealth. Messiah's selection comes by way of an automatic bid after they defeated Albright College in the MAC Commonwealth Championship on Saturday.
What to Know About the Falcons: Messiah is known for their depth and their ability to take care of business on both ends of the court. Nationally, the Falcons are ranked 3rd in assist-turnover ratio (1.33), seventh in won-lost percentage (92.6), 10th in scoring margin (20.8), 12th in three-point field-goal defense (23.9), 13th in scoring defense (50.3), 15th in turnovers per game (13.2), and 18th in total assists (475). Messiah enters the weekend averaging 71.0 ppg and holding their opponents to 50.3 ppg. Four different Falcons produce double-figure scoring and they received All-MAC Commonwealth honors this season. Forwards Leah Springer (14.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and Alecia Rohrer (13.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg) lead Messiah in scoring and rebounding; while guards Kaitlyn Hoff (11.9 ppg, 3.9 ast/g) and Maci Thornton (11.1 ppg, 2.2 stl/g) control the pace and tempo of the game. Kristen Smoluk (6.0 ppg) and Jen Fairbanks (5.0 ppg) are also key players for the Falcons.
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| Oberlin College Yeowomen |
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Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Coach: Kerry Jenkins (10th season, 102-161 at Oberlin entering the weekend)
2017-18 Record: 21-7, 13-3 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1st
Last NCAA Tournament Result: N/A
How the Yeowomen got here: Oberlin (21-7) earned an automatic bid into the Tournament via their first-ever North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championship on Saturday. The Yeowomen defeated Wittenberg 71-39, and will be taking their very first trip to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
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What to Know About the Yeowomen: Oberlin's strengths are their defensive effort and their size, with five players who stand over six-feet tall. The Yeowomen are ranked second in the nation in blocked shots per game (7.1) and total blocked shots (199), 12th in field-goal percentage defense (32.3), and 14th in defensive rebounds per game (31). Olivia Canning (11.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg), who stands at 6'4", is 12th in the nation in blocked shots (77) and 13th in blocked shots per game (2.96). Offensively the Yeowomen are led by Alex Stipano (13.9 ppg), Olivia Canning (11.8 ppg), Abby Andrews (9.5 ppg), and Ally Driscoll (8.1 ppg). Oberlin averages 60.4 ppg and holds their opponents to 53.5 ppg.
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| Emory & Henry College Wasps |
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Location: Emory, Va.
Coach: Anne Crutchfield (4th season, 75-35 at Emory & Henry entering the weekend)
2017-18 Record: 22-6, 13-3 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 1st
Last NCAA Tournament Result: N/A
How the Wasps got here: Emory & Henry (22-6) finished the regular season atop the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, but fell to 2-seed Randolph-Macon in the conference championship. However, their resume was still strong enough to earn an at-large bid, and this marks the first time in program history that the Wasps have qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
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What to Know About the Wasps: Emory & Henry is making program history after receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament and they have proved to be a top team on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. The Wasps are sitting at 14th in the nation in field-goal percentage (44.5%),15th in total steals (372), and 23rd in steals per game (13.3). Emory & Henry run a balanced offense and six different Wasps post big numbers offensively. Taylor Blevins leads Emory & Henry with 12.2 ppg and 5.9 rpg, while Sydney McKinney averages 10.5 ppg and 5.4 rpg. Tessa Johnston (8.5 ppg), Peyton Williams (8.3 ppg), Kara Stafford (8.3 ppg), and Chloe Harris (7.0 ppg) are also key contributors for the Wasps. As mentioned previously, Emory & Henry average 13.3 steals a game and guard Peyton Williams leads the Wasps with 2.1 steals per game.
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| Roger Williams University Hawks |
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Location: Bristol, R.I.
Coach: Kelly Thompson (8th season, 149-69 at Roger Williams entering the weekend)
2017-18 Record: 23-5, 15-3 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)
NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2nd (2014)
Last NCAA Tournament Result: 2014 NCAA First Round, lost to Plattsburgh State 67-56
How the Hawks got here: Roger Williams (23-5) earned an at-large bid to make their way into the NCAA National Tournament. The Hawks finished in second place in the Commonwealth Coast Conference with a record of 15-3, and fell in the conference championship game to fellow tournament attendee the University of New England. However, they have set a new single-season school record for wins with 23 thus far.
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| What to Know About the Hawks: Roger Williams is known for their ability to defend their end of the court. They rank fourth in the nation in blocked shots per game (6.4) and total blocked shots (180), and 16th in field-goal percentage defense (32.5). As a team, they average 63.1 ppg and hold their opponents to 53.2 ppg. The Hawks are led by seniors Mariah Nicholas (16.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and Anna Walther (13.0 ppg, 2.8 ast/g) and these two have accounted for 834 of the Hawks' 1766 total points this season (47.2%). Teagan Dunn (9.5 rpg, 7.7 ppg) and Gabby Jerahian (9.5 ppg) are also key players for Roger Williams. |
