Titans' NCAA Sweet 16 Game To Be Played In Whitewater
The UW-Oshkosh women's basketball team opens its third consecutive NCAA Division III Sweet 16 appearance against nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio) on Friday (March 11) in Whitewater. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. in host UW-Whitewater's Kachel Gymnasium.
UW-Oshkosh (21-6) reached the third round of the Division III Championship by defeating Wisconsin Lutheran College, 48-42, in the first round Friday (March 4) before upsetting Simpson College (Iowa), 64-56, during the regional title game Saturday (March 5) in Indianola, Iowa. Simpson College, which had its winning streaks of 23 games this season and 21 at home come to an end, entered the national tournament ranked fourth in the country by D3hoops.com while Wisconsin Lutheran College was 18th.
The Titans, who received one of 20 at-large berths into the 64-team NCAA field, have now won at least one game in each of their past 14 trips to the Division III Championship. UW-Oshkosh, which advanced to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals this season, also recently reached the third round in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2020. The Titans were one of 16 programs still in contention for the 2020 NCAA title when the remainder of the tournament was canceled due to the novel coronavirus pandemic that forced the cancellation of the 2021 championship.
Tenth-ranked Baldwin Wallace University (23-4) punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 by virtue of winning the Gettysburg (Pa.) Regional with wins of 66-54 over Salisbury University (Md.) in the first round and 66-54 at host and 25th-ranked Gettysburg College on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets, who joined UW-Oshkosh as one of the final 16 teams still vying for the 2020 national championship when the cancellation was announced, earned an automatic berth into this year's NCAA postseason by winning the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title.
The Whitewater Sectional will also feature 12th-ranked UW-Whitewater hosting 16th-ranked Smith College (Mass.) (25-2) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Friday's Whitewater Sectional winners then play at 7 p.m. Saturday (March 12) for the right advance to the Final Four that will be held March 17 and 19 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
UW-Whitewater (25-4), which garnered an at-large berth into the NCAA postseason, was the WIAC regular season champion and league tournament runner-up. The Warhawks clinched a spot in the Sweet 16 with home victories of 58-34 over Ripon College during Friday's first round and 72-54 against Illinois Wesleyan University during the Whitewater Regional title game the following day.
Smith College (25-2) secured its place in the Sweet 16 with home victories of 61-51 versus Framingham State University (Mass.) in the first round and then 76-58 over Brooklyn College (N.Y.) to secure the Northampton (Mass.) Regional title. The Pioneers, another 2020 Sweet 16 participant when the remainder of the event was canceled, were the 2022 Division III Championship automatic qualifiers out of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference.
Tickets for the Whitewater Sectional contest will be available starting at 4 p.m. Friday in Kachel Gymnasium. Tickets, which will not be available for presale, are $10 for adults; $7 for students (with valid college ID), seniors and youth; and free for ages 3 and under.
Whitewater Sectional Schedule
Friday, March 11
Game 1: Baldwin Wallace University vs. UW-Oshkosh, 5 p.m.
Game 2: UW-Whitewater vs. Smith College, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 7 p.m.
2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Digital Program