Titans, Bears Meet In NCAA Sweet 16 Postseason Matchup

UW-Oshkosh plays for the right to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship when it visits Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) on Friday (March 10). Tipoff for the battle of nationally ranked teams is set for 7:30 p.m. in Washington University's WU Field House.

UW-Oshkosh (26-3), ranked 13th in the country by D3hoops.com, is back in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA postseason for the second time in four years and seventh overall.

Sixth-ranked Washington University (25-2) has won a division-leading five national titles and finished as the national runner-up on four occasions. The Bears are seeking to extend their home winning streak to 21 games.

The other Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in St. Louis features fourth-ranked Tufts University (Mass.) opposing 17th-ranked University of Scranton (Pa.) at 5:30 p.m.

Friday's winners will remain in St. Louis to play on Saturday (March 11) for the opportunity to advance to the Final Four that will be held March 17-18 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Tufts University, University of Scranton, UW-Oshkosh and Washington University each reached the Sweet 16 by winning a pair of regional contests on their home floors last weekend (March 3-4). Tufts University, UW-Oshkosh and Washington University are among eight programs to win at least one game in each of the past four NCAA postseason tournaments.

Tufts University (27-2), last year's national runner-up, cruised to the Sweet 16 of this year's tournament by scores of 65-44 over Saint Joseph's College of Maine in the opening round and 64-44 over Husson University (Maine).

University of Scranton (26-3), which owns the highest winning percentage (.815) in Division III women's basketball history, eked past University of New England (Maine), 49-48, in the first round before defeating SUNY Polytechnic Institute (N.Y.) by a 76-65 count.

UW-Oshkosh ousted Calvin College (Mich.), 63-55, in the first round before eliminating 11th-ranked DePauw University (Ind.) by a 64-49 score.

Washington University defeated St. Norbert College, 73-54, in the opening round and prevailed, 83-74, over 24th-ranked Wheaton College (Ill.).

UW-Oshkosh is making its fourth straight and 14th overall NCAA Division III Championship appearance. The Titans own a 27-12 record in the national tournament, including previous Sweet 16 appearances in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2014.

The Titans won the 1996 Division III championship, 66-50, over University of Mount Union (Ohio) after falling to Capital University (Ohio), 59-55, in the 1995 title game.

Washington University won its most recent national title in 2010 after claiming four in a row from 1998-2001. The Bears, who played in nine of the 35 previous national championship games, also produced runner-up showings in 1994, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

The Bears have compiled a 70-25 record in their 29 trips to the NCAA postseason. Washington University holds the Division III women's record for victories in the national tournament while University of Scranton, the 1985 national champion, ranks second in NCAA postseason wins by producing a 60-32 mark in 30 appearances.

Tufts University, making its ninth trip to the national tournament, has a 24-10 record in NCAA postseason play.

The matchup between UW-Oshkosh and Washington University will feature the Titans' standout defense opposing the Bears' prolific offense. UW-Oshkosh ranks 12th nationally by allowing 49.9 points per game while Washington University is 11th in the country with 77.6 points per contest.

UW-Oshkosh has a 21-1 record when holding teams to less than 56 points this season. Washington University, which ranks second in the nation with a .465 field goal percentage, has scored at least 66 points in all but three of its games this season.

Washington University's 20-game home winning streak dates to Jan. 24, 2016, when the Bears suffered a 66-64 setback to New York University. Washington University, which has won 66 of its last 69 home games, has not suffered a home defeat to a non-conference opponent since DePauw University defeated the Bears, 69-57, on Nov. 27, 2011.

The Bears have won four of their seven previous meetings with the Titans. However, UW-Oshkosh won the last matchup between the teams, 72-66, during the second round of the 2014 NCAA Championship in Oshkosh.

UW-Oshkosh's balanced scoring distribution this season is led by WIAC Player of the Year Taylor Schmidt, all-league first team pick Eliza Campbell, and all-conference honorable mention selections Morgan Kokta and Alex Richard.

Campbell, a junior, averages 10.9 points to lead the Titans while Schmidt, a senior, adds 10.8, and seniors Richard and Kokta 7.4 and 5.5, respectively. Team leaders also include Richard's 183 rebounds, Kokta's 65 assists and Schmidt's 46 steals.

Schmidt, who has started each of the Titans' 118 games over the past four seasons, is the school's all-time career leader in free throws made (396) and free throw attempts (506). She is also sixth on the program's career scoring list with 1,267 points.

UW-Oshkosh junior Emma Melotik contributes 5.6 points per contest, and four Titan reserves – senior Madeline Staples, junior Jaimee Pitt, sophomore Isabella Samuels and freshman Kylie Moe – each add at least four points per game.

Washington University's dynamic offense is spearheaded by junior Natalie Orr and a trio of NCAA Division I transfers in seniors Jenn Dynis and Zoe Vernon, and sophomore Madeline Homoly.

Dynis played two seasons at the College of Holy Cross (Mass.), Vernon competed for two years at Winthrop University (S.C.) and Homoly helped the University of South Dakota win the 2016 National Invitation Tournament.

Dynis, Homoly, Orr and Vernon were each named to this season's All-University Athletic Association Team.

Homoly leads the Bears with 14.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, mostly in a reserve role. She shoots a team-best 53.5 percent (160-299) from the field and leads the squad with 36 steals while playing less than 22 minutes per contest.

Orr and Vernon both add 10.6 points per game and Dynis follows at 10.5.

Washington University sophomore Rachael Sondag paces the team with 52 3-pointers off the bench, and sophomore reserve Becca Clark-Callendar has a team-leading 90 assists.

The first Sweet 16 matchup on Friday in St. Louis will involve the highly ranked Tufts University defense squaring off with University of Scranton's efficient offense.

Tufts University is second in the country by yielding just 42.2 points per game and sixth by holding opponents to a .313 field goal percentage. University of Scranton lists sixth nationally with 18.1 assists per game and ninth with a .453 field goal percentage.

Junior Melissa Baptista leads Tufts University with 12.6 points per game while senior Michela North, a 2016 D3hoops.com second-team All-American, averages 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.

University of Scranton is headlined by a pair of 2016 D3hoops.com All-Americans in senior second team selection Sarah Payonk and senior third team honoree Alexix Roman.

Payonk, who registers 11.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, leads the nation with two triple-doubles this season.

Roman is the Lady Royals' leading scorer at 17 points per contest while sophomore Bridgette Mann averages 13.6 points on the strength of a team-best 59 3-pointers.

The four programs in St. Louis this weekend have combined to compile an all-time record of 3,050-986 (.756 winning percentage).

University of Scranton owns a 998-227 record (.815 winning percentage) in 42 seasons, while Washington University is 797-195 (.803) in 38 years, UW-Oshkosh is 666-279 (.705) in 36 seasons and Tufts University is 589-285 (.674) in 36 seasons.

With two victories this weekend, University of Scranton would become the second Division III program to reach 1,000 wins, joining Elizabethtown College (Pa.), which has amassed a 1,052-550 record (.657 winning percentage) in 89 seasons.

NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Interactive Bracket