WAVERLY, Iowa — The No. 5-ranked Wartburg women's basketball team opens the the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend, hosting the First and Second Rounds at Levick Arena.
The NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee announced the field of 64 teams for the 2020 championship on Monday, March 2, with Wartburg selected as one of 16 first/second-round host sites. The Knights will host Wheaton College, Whitman College, and Monmouth College March 6-7.
Wartburg was awarded an automatic berth to the tournament with an American Rivers Conference Tournament title, defeating Loras College on Saturday, Feb. 29, earning a fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
SCHEDULE
Whitman (24-3) and Wheaton (20-7) will open the first round on Friday at 5:30 p.m., followed by Wartburg (24-3) versus Monmouth (21-6) at 8 p.m.
The winners will advance to the second round with a 7 p.m. start time on Saturday.
- Friday, March 6, 5:30 p.m. — Wheaton vs. No. 11 Whitman
- Friday, March 6, 8 p.m. — No. 5 Wartburg vs. Monmouth
- Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. — Winner of Wheaton/Whitman vs. Winner of Wartburg/Monmouth
*Home team is bolded
TICKETS
$8.00 Adult Single Day
$5.00 Senior Citizen/Student/Youth Single Day
*Ticket sales at Levick Arena will open 1.5 hours prior to the start of the first game for spectators. Pre-sale tickets will NOT be available.
NCAA Tournament Notes
- Wartburg is making its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and is hosting the first & second rounds for third-straight season.
- Wartburg owns an 18-13 NCAA postseason record in 13 appearances.
- The Knights have made three Final Four appearances, most recently in 2018.
- Last season, Wartburg reached the Elite Eight, falling to No. 2-ranked University of St. Thomas.
Wartburg
- The Knights are coming off a 67-54 win over No. 11 Loras College last Saturday to clinch a fourth consecutive conference title, becoming the first women's basketball program in Iowa Conference history to do so.
- Wartburg headlined the A-R-C Postseason Awards, announced Wednesday, with Bob Amsberry named the Coach of the Year, and Emma Gerdes earning a second-straight MVP award.
- Wartburg ranks 5th nationally in the latest WBCA and D3hoops.com Top 25 polls.
- In Division III, the Knights lead the nation with a 48.6 field goal percentage.
- Additionally, Wartburg ranks among the top five in total points (2,225), scoring offense (82.4 ppg), three-point field goals per game (10.5), three-point field goals made (283), assists per game (19.1), and total assists (515).
Monmouth |
GAME NOTES
- The Fighting Scots earned an automatic bid to the tournament with a Midwest Conference Tournament Championship victory over Ripon College.
- Monmouth has recorded a program record 21 wins and is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance, its first since 2012.
- Rank third nationally in free throw percentage (77.7) and fifth in three-point field goal percentage (36.9).
- The Scots' Becca Gallis leads the team with 16.3 points per game.
Wheaton |
GAME NOTES
- Wheaton College received an at-large bid to the tournament for its 14th postseason appearance and sixth consecutive.
- The Thunder, members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), were crowned the regular season champions and fell to Illinois Wesleyan on the tournament final.
- Senior forward Hannah Frazier, the 2019 and 2020 CCIW Most Outstanding Player, leads the Thunder in scoring this season with 28.1 points per game.
- Wheaton has fell in the first round of the tournament the last two seasons.
Whitman
- Whitman College ranks No. 11 nationally was rewarded an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, making its fifth tournament appearance.
- The Blues, regular season champions from the Northwest Conference (NWC), fell 57-55 versus George Fox in the conference tournament championship.
- Whitman has made three Elite Eight appearances dating back to 2013, including a Final Four appearance in 2014.
- Senior forward Makana Stone was named the Northwest Conference's Women's Basketball Player of the Year and head coach Michelle Ferenz was selected as the NWC Coach of the Year.
