Game Info: Saturday, February 22, 2020 - 1:00 p.m.
Location: BB&T Arena - Frederick, Md.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WUWBB
| |
Opening Tip
The Widener University women's basketball team plays its final regular season game, traveling to Frederick, Md. to take on the Hood Blazers in a MAC Commonwealth matchup. Tipoff from BB&T Arena is scheduled for 1:00 p.m
Postseason Update
Already having clinched a bye in the First Round of the MAC Commonwealth Championship, the results of Tuesday's games further solidified the playoff picture for Widener. The Blue and Gold will play Albright in the tournament semifinals, on Wednesday, February 26. The location and time of the game is still up in the air and is dependant on the result of the Albright-Messiah game in Reading on Saturday. A Lions win would mean the WU and AC would square off at the Bollman Center. An Albright loss and Widener hosts the semifinal at the Schwartz Center.
Last Time Out - Schenk Leads The Way As @WUWBB Earns 20th Win Of The Year
The Pride continued to make history in a season of firsts as the Widener downed the Arcadia Knights 73-50 on Tuesday night.
PERSPECTIVE
- The win moves Widener to 20-4 on the season, just the third 20-win campaign in the 49-year history of women's basketball at the University.
- It is the first time ever the Blue and Gold has recorded back-to-back years with 20 or more victories.
- WU is now 12-3 in conference, the second most victories in MAC Commonwealth or Commonwealth Conference play.
BY THE NUMBERS
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Pride got off to a fantastic start, scoring the first eight points of the game and pushed the lead to double figures, going up 19-8 on a three-pointer by D'Ambrosio with 2:24 remaining in the opening period. Widener did an excellent job of turning defense into offense, posting seven points off turnovers in the first frame. Arcadia chipped away in the middle portion of the second stanza, using a 10-2 run to end the half, closing the gap to 30-23 at the break. Offensive rebounding was a key for the Knights who pulled down four O-boards, helping to seven second chance points in the stanza.
A strong start to the second half for the Blue and Gold followed as a couple of quick baskets by Schenk helped to reestablish a double digit lead. From there, Widener turned on the jets, posting an 18-6 spurt in the final eight minutes of the third period, taking its largest lead of the game to that point at 52-31. D'Ambrosio keyed the run with eight points as WU shot 6-for-11 in the span, holding Arcadia to 2-of-10. The two teams played an even fourth period as the game wound to its conclusion.
Scouting Report
Hood enters play 6-18 overall and is 2-13 in MAC Commonwealth play following an 85-39 loss at Stevenson on Tuesday. Despite the setback against the Mustangs, the Blazers have played better in recent weeks, picking up their first two conference wins of the season and playing within seven points each of Lycoming and Arcadia on the road.
Mia Savoy leads the offense, scoring 12.5 a game, up from 10.4 a season ago. Part of the jump comes from an increase in three-pointers as she has made 37 in 2019-20 after going 2-for-8 from distance last year. Morgan Anderson adds 10.0 points a contest and leads Hood with 9.0 rebounds a night and has seen her numbers improve as Hood has gotten better. In the last eight games, she is averaging 11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds an outing, up from 9.1 and 7.9 in the first 16 games of the year.
Success in the post can be a tough go for Blazers' opponents as Hood is second in the MAC Commonwealth and 25th nationally in blocked shots per game at 5.1 with Anderson leading the way, sitting sixth in NCAA Division III at 3.2 a contest.
Jack Mehl was named Hood's head women's basketball coach in July 2011. His 2016-17 team produced one of just two freshmen to make the All-MAC Commonwealth team and played .500 basketball through its first 12 games. Under his leadership, Hood recorded its first ever win over a nationally ranked team. He has coached four all-conference members and has over 400 career collegiate wins, dating to his time as the head coach of the Frederick County Community College women's basketball team.
Last Time Against Hood
After a tight first quarter, Widener broke open the game in the second and third periods on its way to a 77-56 victory against the Blazers on January 19.
Devan Rimmer scored 22 points, connecting on 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc.
Kyra Schenk netted 14, hitting 8-of-9 at the line, and pulled in seven rebounds. For the contest, the Blue and Gold held a 30-13 advantage in free throw attempts.
Out On The Break
A big part of Widener's offense is grabbing the rebound and getting out on the fastbreak. The Pride gets 11.71 points per game on the run. Opponents average less than half of that total at just 5.38 fastbreak points per contest.
We'll Take That, Thanks!
A lot of the fastbreak points for the Pride come off turnovers as Widener averages 17.33 points per game off its foes' miscues. Teams are netting 11.96 points off Widener turnovers this season.
Making History
The win for Blue and Gold at Arcadia was significant for several reasons, most importantly being the 20th win of the season for the Pride. It is just the third time in the 49-year history of Widener women's basketball the team has won 20 or more games in a year and it is the first time WU has recorded back-to-back seasons of 20+ victories.
Regionally Speaking
Wednesday, February 19 saw the second NCAA Regional Rankings released and a big jump made by Widener, moving up from sixth to third. Regional Rankings are selected by the Regional Advisory Committee for each area and take into account team record, record versus high-ranked competition, strength of schedule, and opponent strength of schedule, among other factors. They are used as a guide to assist the NCAA selection committee in choosing the 64 teams that will make up the 2020 NCAA Championship. The final rankings before selection Monday will be released on February 26.
Improved Competition
One reason for where the Blue and Gold was placed in the regional rankings was a higher level of competition than in previous seasons. The Pride has the 68th toughest schedule out of 443 teams in all of Division III. Widener has played six games this season against teams with winning percentages of .800 or better and has wins in three of those contests, toppling Rowan on November 23, #24 Messiah on January 8, and #15 Albright on February 12. Widener also has four victories against teams that are regionally ranked when adding in its victory against Mary Washington on November 10.
But It's Not Just Who We Played
While Widener has played a more challenging schedule in 2019-20 than previous years, its opponents have also played tough teams. Four teams on the slate for the Pride rank in the top-35 in strength of schedule. Amherst is first with Mary Washington ninth and Messiah 11th. A team on the list that might surprise is Stevenson, who has played the 34th toughest schedule in the country. All of this has led to the Blue and Gold having the combined winning percentage of all opponents its opponents have played (OOWP) be .549, the second highest in the Middle Atlantic Region and the 29th best mark in the country. OOWP is one of the factors taken into account when regional rankings and NCAA selections are determined.
Top Props
Madison Ireland was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for her effort against Albright and Alvernia. She averaged 12 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 2-0 week for Widener. Ireland matched a season-high with 17 points, picking up the scoring slack as Widener downed Albright on Wednesday, 69-68. In the game she also pulled down seven rebounds and dished five assists with only one turnover. Against Alvernia on Saturday, she flirted with a triple-double, scoring seven, with nine rebounds and nine assists. Overall for the week, she posted a 4.7:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Senior Sendoff
Prior to the game against Alvernia, Widener honored seniors
Madison Ireland and
Devan Rimmer. Ireland is the program's all-time leader in assists with 569 and is one of three players in program history to start 100 or more career games. Rimmer is fourth WU history with 1,560 points and third with 162 three-pointers. By stepping on the court on Saturday, she became the 16th student-athlete for the Blue and Gold to appear in 100 career games. The pair has been a part of 60 wins in their four years including 39 since the beginning of 2018. It's not just on the court where they have made an impact. Rimmer earned her undergraduate degree in 3.5 years and carries a 3.679 GPA in biology/pre-physical therapy. Ireland has earned a 3.483 GPA as a nursing major.
Up Next
Widener will play Albright in a MAC Commonwealth semifinal on Wednesday, February 26. Time and location of the game will be determined based on the results of Saturday's games.
