Titans Begin 17th NCAA Postseason Appearance Against Warriors

The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team earned an at-large berth into the 2022 NCAA Division III Championship and will face nationally ranked Wisconsin Lutheran College during the first round on Friday (March 4) in Indianola, Iowa. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at regional host Simpson College's Cowles Fieldhouse.

Two of the country's top defenses will square off in the regional opener as Wisconsin Lutheran College (23-1) is fourth nationally by holding opponents to 46.7 points per game while UW-Oshkosh (19-6) ranks 17th at 50.3 points allowed per contest. Wisconsin Lutheran College also enters the national tournament ranked 18th in the latest D3hoops.com poll.

Friday's other first round contest at the Indianola Regional features Simpson College (23-1), ranked fourth by D3hoops.com, hosting Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) (22-4) at 7:30 p.m.

The Indianola Regional championship game is set for 5 p.m. Saturday (March 5). The winner of the regional advances to play in the third round March 11.

UW-Oshkosh, making its 17th NCAA postseason trip, received one of 20 at-large berths into the 64-team field after advancing to the semifinals of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. The Titans, who boast a 31-14 record in the national postseason, clinched their third straight NCAA appearance and seventh in the past eight tournaments.

The Titans were one of 16 programs still contending for the 2020 title when the remainder of the Division III Championship was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that also forced the cancellation of the 2021 tournament.

Wisconsin Lutheran College received an automatic berth into the Division III Championship after winning both the regular season and postseason championships in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. The Warriors avenged their lone loss this season when they defeated St. Norbert College, 51-43, during the NACC Tournament title game.

UW-Oshkosh and Wisconsin Lutheran College will be meeting for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. The Titans have won all seven of their prior matchups with the Warriors, including a 67-57 decision during the most recent meeting Nov. 29, 2003.

The Titans head into the NCAA postseason scoring 66.0 points per game under 10th-year head coach Brad Fischer. UW-Oshkosh paces the entire division with 10.9 turnovers per game and led the WIAC in both scoring defense and 3-point percentage (.335).

UW-Oshkosh's Nikki Arneson and Leah Porath were both named to the All-WIAC First Team this season while Abby Kaiser was selected to the league's Honorable Mention and All-Defensive teams. Julia Silloway joined Kaiser on the WIAC All-Defensive Team for the Titans.

Porath, a 2021 consensus First Team All-American and a two-time WIAC Player of the Year, is averaging a team-leading 14.6 points and 5.9 rebounds on the year while shooting 47.1% from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range. She is UW-Oshkosh's fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,346 career points.

Arneson, who this season became the program's 23rd and most recent player to score 1,000 career points (1,003), averages 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds to go along with a .469 field goal percentage, WIAC-leading .431 3-point percentage, and a team-best .805 free throw percentage and 47 made 3-pointers.

Jenna Jorgensen, shooting 80% at the free throw line this season, is third on the team at 8.8 points per contest and has drained 36 3-pointers primarily in a reserve role. The Titans also receive 6.3 points per game from Silloway, 5.6 from Kaiser and 4.0 from Ava Douglas. Kaiser has a team-leading 44 steals. Silloway has dished out a team-high 54 assists.

Wisconsin Lutheran College, scoring 64.5 point per game, ranks fifth nationally in turnovers per contest (11.9) and 10th in 3-point defense (.222).

The Warriors feature five players averaging more than four points per game, including Jenna Mace at 12.0 per contest, Sam Leisemann at 11.5 and Kaitlyn Shadoski at 9.0. Leisemann leads the way with 8.9 rebounds per game, 26 steals, 23 blocks and a .525 field goal percentage.

Kailes Birkholz and Ally Gough chip in 6.9 and 5.8 points per contest, respectively, for Wisconsin Lutheran College. Gough has knocked down a team-best 30 3-pointers and Birkholz follows with 27 makes from beyond the arc.

The Warriors own a 3-10 record in 10 previous NCAA postseason appearances. Wisconsin Lutheran College advanced to the second round in 2011, 2015 and 2019.

Simpson College enters the weekend with one of the top offenses in the division, leading the nation in assists per game (21.2), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.46), and free throw (.802) and 3-point (.384) percentages. The Storm also rank third in the country in scoring (86.7) and 10th in average scoring margin (+24.3).

The Storm, who have won 20 consecutive home games dating back to the 2019-20 season, secured the American Rivers Conference regular season championship before winning the league tournament title and an NCAA automatic berth with a 62-59 victory over 23rd-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa.). Simpson College has won 22 straight games since a 72-70 setback against UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 26.

Jenna Taylor, who joined UW-Oshkosh's Porath on the 2021 D3hoops.com All-America First Team, leads the Storm with 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in addition to 59 made 3-pointers while shooting 57.5% from the floor, 45% from 3-point range and 86.2% at the free throw line. Taylor's 3-point percentage is second best in Division III.

Simpson College boasts five double-digit scorers as Cassie Nash averages 15.2 points per contest, Cameron Kincaid 13.3, Anna Wanek 11.0 and Regan Freland 10.8. Kincaid is the national leader with a .931 free throw percentage. Nash ranks fifth in the country with a .598 field goal percentage and seventh with 87 steals. The Storm's Kia Rasmussen, contributing 7.3 points per game, has 120 assists and leads the nation with a 4.65 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Storm sport an 11-13 record in 13 prior Division III Championship appearances. Simpson College, making its first NCAA postseason trip since 2013, won regional titles in 2007, 2008, 2013.

Gustavus Adolphus College, which is making its eighth NCAA visit and first since back-to-back-appearances in 2017-18, is averaging 66.8 points per game and yielding 52.2 per contest. The Gusties earned an automatic berth into the national tournament after winning the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Playoffs for the first time with a 65-56 victory in the championship game at Augsburg University (Minn.).

Anna Sanders and Emma Kniefel lead the Gusties in scoring at 12.2 and 11.7 points per contest, respectively. Kniefel is shooting 55.3% from the floor on the year and has a team-high 57 assists. Sanders has recorded a team-best 52 made 3-pointers and 38 steals while shooting 82.1% at the foul line.

Gustavus Adolphus College has a 3-7 record in the Division III Championship, winning a first round game in 2003 before reaching the 2018 Sweet 16 with a pair of victories.

UW-Oshkosh, seeking its ninth consecutive 20+ win full season, has won at least one game during each of its past 13 NCAA postseason appearances. The Titans, the 1996 national champion and 1995 runners-up, recently reached the third round in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

UW-Oshkosh Advance Ticket Sale • Daily ticket prices are $10 for adults and $7 for students (K-College) and senior citizens (62-plus). Children ages 2 and under are free.

2022 UW-Oshkosh Women's Basketball Indianola Regional Media Guide

2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Digital Program