WAVERLY, Iowa – Women's basketball is set to host the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) championship game inside Levick Arena for a fourth-straight season on Saturday, Feb. 28.
The Knights will battle Coe College at 4 p.m. with a Division III NCAA tournament auto-bid at stake in a rematch of last season's A-R-C title game.
Saturday, Feb. 28 | Waverly, Iowa | Levick Arena
#1 Wartburg (20-6, 15-1 A-R-C) vs #2 Coe (20-6, 13-3 A-R-C) | 4 PM CT |
Live Stream ($) |
Live Stats
All-Time Series vs Coe
- Saturday will mark just the fourth A-R-C tournament meeting between these programs
- Wartburg is 2-1 in A-R-C tournament matchups against the Kohawks
- The Knights defeated Coe 61-55 in last season's A-R-C tournament championship
- Wartburg is 55-21 all-time against Coe
- These teams split the regular season series with each of the home teams winning the matchup
- Coe's early regular season win over the Knights was the first since the 2020-21 season
- Only team to defeat Wartburg in A-R-C play since the 2022-23 season (snapped 37-game winning streak in conference play)
- Wartburg holds a 28-9 record at home in the series
- Coe's last win in Waverly over the Knights came during the 2015-16 conference tournament
- The Knights have won 18 of the last 20 matchups over Coe
A-R-C Tournament History
- Wartburg is seeking a three-peat of A-R-C Tournament titles for the first time since winning four-straight tournament titles from 2017-2020
- The Knights have won eight A-R-C Tournament championships (six since 2017)
- Wartburg is on a five-game winning streak in A-R-C Tournament play
- 32-17 all-time in the A-R-C tournament
- Head coach Bob Amsberry captured his eighth career regular season championship and is seeking his seventh career A-R-C tournament title
- Six-time A-R-C Coach of the Year
- The Knights are hosting its fourth-straight A-R-C tournament title game
- 10th overall time hosting
- Wartburg's 14 championship game appearances lead all A-R-C teams
- Either Wartburg or Simpson have appeared in all but six A-R-C title games since the A-R-C tournament began in 2000
How They Got Here
First Round - Tuesday, February 24
No. 5 Luther College (77) at No. 4 Simpson College (72)
No. 6 Central College (68) at
No. 3 Buena Vista University (78)
Semifinals - Thursday, February 26
No. 5 Luther College (45) at
No. 1 Wartburg College (61)
No. 3 Buena Vista University (57)
at No. 2 Coe College (71)
Championship - Saturday, February 28
No. 2 Coe College at No. 1 Wartburg College - 4:00 p.m.
In the Polls
Wartburg
- The Knights enter the tournament championship with a 20-6 record overall and a 15-1 record in A-R-C play
- Defeated Luther 61-45 at home to open tournament play
- On a current 16-game winning streak
- 10th 20-win season in a row under head coach Bob Amsberry (not including shortened 2020-21 season)
- 11th total 20-win season under Amsberry
- Four Knights are averaging nine or more points per game this season
- Wartburg is allowing an A-R-C best 51.8 points per game through 26 games played and is averaging 65.4 points per game offensively (fifth in A-R-C)
- 25th ranked scoring defense in all of Division III
- Wartburg's three-point percentage of 33.8% ranks 18th in Division III and the team average of 8.2 per game ranks 20th in Division III
- Boulanger (61/126, 48.4%) currently ranks second in Division III in three point percentage (as of 2/26)
- Golinghorst (23/63, 36.5%) ranks seventh individually in three point percentage in the A-R-C and Carly Rich ranks second individually (A-R-C games only) at 45.5% (15/33)
- As a team, Wartburg is shooting: 40.5% FG (4th in A-R-C), 33.8% 3P (2nd in A-R-C) and 70.8% FT (7th in A-R-C)
- Boulanger's 17.4 points per game ranks second in the A-R-C headed into the conference tournament
- Ranks seventh in field goal percentage (49.5%) and first in three point percentage (48.4%) among A-R-C scorers
- Wartburg ranks second in turnover margin at +3.27 through 26 games
- Has forced opponents into an average of 20.5 turnovers per game over its 16-game winning streak
- The Knights lead the A-R-C in blocked shots per game as a team with 4.77 per game
- Hennessy enters the championship game tied for the conference lead in total blocks (44) and is in the lead in blocks per game (1.7)
- Hennessy has recorded 40+ blocks and 40+ steals this season
- Emma Townsley is tied for fourth individually in steals per game in the A-R-C with 2.0 per contest
- Has recorded nine steals over her last two games played
- Leads the Knights with 51 total
- The Knights are second overall in the A-R-C in combined opponent rebounds (35 allowed per game) and in both offensive rebounds per game (11.1), but rank third in rebounding margin (+2.8)
- Harrison leads the team in rebounding this season with an average of 6.6 per game (eighth in A-R-C) and leads the team in field goal percentage (54.1%, third in A-R-C)
- Lauren Donlea leads the team with 3.1 assist per game (fifth in A-R-C) and leads the A-R-C in assist/turnover ratio (1.8)
- Has recorded five or more assists five times this season
- Wartburg is fourth overall in the conference in assists per game (14.31)
- With a conference best 8.2 made three pointers per game as a team, Wartburg has six shooters with 15 or more made three pointers this season
- Boulanger (61), Hennessy (50), Golinghorst (23), Donlea (18), Rich (18) and Katelyn Aden (17)
Coe
- The Kohawks enter the championship with an overall record of 20-6 and an A-R-C record of 13-3
- Defeated BVU 71-57 in the semifinals
- After starting 8-0 in A-R-C play, the Kohawks finished the season 5-3 in the final eight conference games
- Third-straight 20-win season for Coe under head coach Kayla Waskow
- Coe has the second ranked scoring defense in the A-R-C with an average of 53.2 points per game allowed as well as the second ranked scoring offense with an average of 68.7 points per game
- Three Kohawks are averaging 10 or more points per game this season
- Caydee Kirkham (18.6), Audrie Helmrichs (15.9), and Taryn Kravig (10.3)
- Kirkham is the current conference leader in scoring and Helmrichs ranks fifth individually
- Coe has the top rebounding margin in the league with an average of +7.2
- Helmrichs ranks fourth overall in the A-R-C in rebounding with 9.1 per game
- Kirkham is the conference leader in assists per game with an average of 5.6
- Also ranks tied for 11th in rebounding with 5.7 per game
- As a team, Coe is shooting: 45.9% FG (first in A-R-C), 35.3% 3P (first in A-R-C) and 75.9% FT (first in A-R-C)
- Helmrichs leads the A-R-C in field goal percentage (66.9%)
- Both Kravig (40.4%) and Kirkham (38.3%) rank second and third respectively in three point percentage
- Coe ranks fifth overall in the conference in turnover margin (+0.44), but first in assist to turnover ratio (1.03)
- Coe ranks seventh overall in steals per game (7.48) and eighth overall in blocks per game (1.96)
- Kirkham leads the team in steals (37, 1.5 per game) and Laiken Haas leads the team in blocked shots (13, 0.5 per game)
