Titans Look To Continue NCAA Postseason Journey
A pair of conference rivals face off when UW-Oshkosh meets UW-Whitewater in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship tonight (March 14) in Greencastle, Ind.
Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. (ET) at DePauw University's Neal Fieldhouse. The contest is followed by a 7:30 p.m. game between defending national champion DePauw University (29-1) and Carthage College (26-3). Tonight's winners remain in Greencastle to play at 7 p.m. on Saturday (March 15) for a spot in the Final Four.
UW-Oshkosh (26-3) is playing UW-Whitewater (24-4) for the fifth time in 14 months. The Warhawks defeated the Titans twice during the regular season, posting a 72-66 win on Jan. 8 and a 64-46 victory on Feb. 15.
13th-ranked UW-Whitewater went unbeaten in 16 WIAC games to capture the league's regular-season title, while UW-Oshkosh finished second with a 13-3 mark. Following a first-round bye, the Titans defeated UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior to win the WIAC Tournament.
Nine different players have led UW-Oshkosh in scoring this year. During the win over fifth-ranked Washington University (Mo.) on Saturday, Alicia Tollefson hit four timely three-pointers that propelled the Titans to a 72-66 victory.
For the season, Sarah Stecker is averaging 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds, while Katelyn Kuehl contributes 10.2 points and 7.4 boards. Ashley Neustifter has 107 assists – the most by a Titan in eight years.
The 12th-ranked Titans have thrived with a balanced offense and a stingy defense. They allow just 54.6 points while winning the rebounding battle by 5.7 per game. UW-Oshkosh has outscored its opponents, 542-336, at the free throw line.
Brad Fischer has a 46-9 record in his second season as UW-Oshkosh's head coach. Last year, he orchestrated the greatest turnaround in WIAC history. Fischer coached the Titans to a 12-4 league mark after they went 1-15 the season before. For his effort, Fischer was named the 2013 WIAC Coach of the Year.
The Warhawks reached this point by topping 15th-ranked University of St. Thomas (Minn.), 87-78, on Saturday in St. Paul, Minn.
UW-Whitewater's scoring leaders include Mary Merg (13.1), Kaitlyn Thill (12.9), Amy Mandrell (11.8) and Kristen Ruchti (10.9). Mandrell tops the squad with 7.1 rebounds per game. Thill also has 107 assists, while ranking second in the country with 113 steals.
In last year's national title game, DePauw University recorded a 69-51 win over UW-Whitewater.
The Tigers reached this year's Sweet Sixteen with Saturday's 76-68 victory over Transylvania University (Ky.). DePauw University opened the season by winning its first 24 games.
Ninth-ranked Carthage College has captured 19 of its last 20 contests, including a 72-67 decision over second-ranked Hope College (Mich.) on Saturday. The Lady Reds lead the NCAA Division III in three-point shooting (.396) and rank second in field goal percentage (.500).