Game Info: Friday, March 6, 2020 - 5:00 p.m.
Location: John Long Center - Scranton, Pa.
Social Media: @WidenerSports |
@WUWBB
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Opening Tip
The Widener University women's basketball team sees one of the finest seasons in program history continue as the Pride travels to Scranton, Pa. to face #24/20 Christopher Newport in the First Round of the 2020 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship on Friday, March 6. Tipoff from the John Long Center is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Last Time Out - @WUWBB Falls In Battle Vs. #21 Albright In #MAChoops Semifinals
The Pride battled #21 Albright into overtime, but the Pride dropped an 81-73 overtime heartbreaker to the Lions in the MAC Commonwealth Championship semifinals on February 26.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Devan Rimmer led the Pride with 23 points on the evening, adding five assists and four steals.
- Madison Ireland posted 16 points, 13 of them coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.
- Erin Phelan scored 10. Kyra Schenk had eight points, nine rebounds, and a career-high six blocked shots.
- Jasmine Franklin also scored eight in the game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Widener raced out to an early lead, hitting 10-of-19 shots in the first quarter. Rimmer connected on four three-pointers in the period as the Pride led 26-18 after 10 minutes. The pace slowed in the second and Albright cut the lead to 31-26 before the Blue and Gold ended the frame on a 7-2 run, taking a 38-28 lead into halftime.
Challenged in the third, the Pride maintained its lead, never being up by less than six in the period. Widener kept the Lions from taking the lead in the fourth, but a put-back off a missed free throw tied the score with 1:49 remaining. Each team had chances down the stretch, but neither could capitalize as regulation expired with the score knotted at 67-67. In the extra session, WU scored first before Albright posted 14 of the final 19 points in the game.
Scouting Report
#24/20 Christopher Newport enters play 23-4, following a 10-0 record in the Capital Athletic Conference and a tournament championship. Most recently, the Captains downed York (Pa.) in the CAC Championship game.
CNU features a balanced offense that sees three players average 10+ points per game. Leading the way is Sondra Fan at 13.2 points per game. Natalie Terwilliger and Anaya Simmons score 10.9 and 10.7 respectively an outing. Terwilliger pulls in 6.3 rebounds a night with Simmons grabbing 6.0. Fan tops four players who post two or more assists per game with 2.4.
Forcing teams to give the ball up is the key for the Captains defense, which is third in the nation in turnovers forced at 28.4 per game and scores 28.9 points per game off opponent miscues. They also get to the line a lot, taking the eighth most free throws in Division III and making the third most (473-of-648). CNU does commit its share of turnovers giving the ball up 21.0 times a contest.
Christopher Newport is a battle tested team in NCAA Tournament competition, winning at least two games in each of the last four seasons and advanced to the National Semifinals in 2017. The John Long Center has been a bit of a house of horrors for CNU, however, as in both 2016 and 2019, it saw its season end in the Sweet 16 in the first game it played on the floor.
Bill Broderick is in his eighth season at the helm of the Captains with a record of 196-40 at CNU. His teams have won 20 or more games seven times in his tenure with a high-water mark of 29 twice, in 2012-13 and 2016-17.
Conference Accolades
Widener was recognized by the MAC Commonwealth with three players on All-Conference teams and two major awards as announced by the league on February 28.
Devan Rimmer was selected to the First Team for the second consecutive year while
Madison Ireland was named Second Team for a third season in a row.
Erin Phelan was chosen as Honorable Mention. Additionally,
Jordan D'Ambrosio was the MAC Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and
Alisa Kintner was named the Coach of the Year.
How They Got Here
Widener gained entry into the NCAA Championship field via one of the 20 at-large berths in Pool C. Strength of schedule is the biggest reason the Pride gained consideration with seven games against teams that had winning percentages of .800 or better and four wins against teams that were in the final, pre-selection regional rankings.
Hello, My Name Is...
The 2020 NCAA Tournament is the first time since 1991 that Widener and Christopher Newport have met on the hardwood in women's basketball with CNU holding a 3-0 all-time series lead. Interestingly enough, it is the second time this season the Pride and Captains will meet in an athletic contest as WU men's basketball hosted CNU on January 4. At the right is a list of the previous matchups between Widener and Christopher Newport in women's hoops.
Who Do You Remind Me Of?
Statistically speaking, arguably the most similar opponent Widener has faced to Christopher Newport this season is Rowan, who also presses for the entire game, is in the top-25 nationally with 23.3 turnovers forced an outing, gives it up nearly 20 times a contest, and scores 24.1 a game off opponent cough-ups. The Pride beat the Profs 85-76 in overtime on November 23.
Ball Security
Friday will be a contrast of styles. While Christopher Newport forces turnovers, the Blue and Gold has done a good job, particularly recently, of not giving the ball away. Widener turns it over 15.3 times per game, the third best mark in the MAC Commonwealth. As good as 15.3 sounds, its a little misleading. Through its first eight games of the year, WU gave the ball up an average of 18.8 times an outing. In its last 18 games, though, the numbers have improved drastically as the Pride has committed just 12.8 turnovers a contest, a mark that would rank fifth in NCAA Division III.
Swiping Left
Kyra Schenk has been a force on the interior for the Pride, blocking 26 shots in her last 10 games. She came away with a career-high six rejections against Albright in the MAC Commonwealth semifinals and has six games this season with three or more blocks.
Stranger Than Fiction
Some of the similarities between the 2019-20 Widener team and its 2012-13 counterpart are uncanny. Both teams finished the regular season 21-4 and both lost in the MAC Commonwealth semifinals at home before earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The teams feature the two players who have started the most games in program history (Lil Carney - 110;
Madison Ireland - 104) and both will play its first games on the floor of a Landmark Conference school. The 2020 version can only hope to have the success of 2013, which advanced to the Elite Eight.
Out On The Break
A big part of Widener's offense is grabbing the rebound and getting out on the fastbreak. The Pride gets 11.46 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 17.23 points per game off its foes' miscues. Teams are netting 12.04 points off Widener turnovers this season.
Historically Speaking - Team
2019-20 will go down as one of the finest regular seasons ever in Widener women's basketball history. The Pride tied the program record for best regular season ever at 21-4, matching the 2012-13 team. It is also just the third time WU has won 20 or more games in a year and is the first time ever the Blue and Gold has posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns. Additionally, Widener played and won its first ever game as a ranked team when it beat Washington (Md.) on December 17, while ranked No. 24.
Historically Speaking - Individually
This season has also seen some individual records fall and mountains climbed in the individual record books, specifically from
Madison Ireland and
Devan Rimmer. Ireland became the all-time leader in career assists with her sixth dime against Stevenson on February 1 and currently has 582 in her tenure with the Pride. Rimmer moved into third place on the Widener career scoring list against Hood on Saturday and climbed into second in made three-pointers with her fourth of the game against Albright, giving her 172 in her career. Finally, the pair became just the 15th and 16th players in WUWBB annals with 100 or more appearances and second and third to start 100 or more games.
Career Ranks
Among active career players, Ireland is second in Division III in assists, trailing only Lexie Hamilton of Colby-Sawyer and is 13th among players at all NCAA divisions. Rimmer is 17th in active D3 scoring, ranks 23rd in made field goals, and 27th in made free throws.
Up Next
The winner between Widener and Christopher Newport will take on the victor between #12/12 Scranton and Endicott in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. That game will take place on Saturday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m.
