Box Score

2012 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Interactive Bracket

ALLIANCE, Ohio – For the second straight year the Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team has advanced to the final four of the NCAA Division III championships after a 77-69 win over Carthage in Alliance, Ohio on Saturday (March 10).


After their fourth win over Carthage this season, the Titans (26-5) will play on Friday against St. Thomas (30-1), who was an 83-72 overtime winner against Calvin. That semifinal will be at DeVos Fieldhouse on the campus of Hope College in Holland, Mich., with the time to be announced Monday.
Defending national champion Amherst and 2009 champion George Fox will meet in the other semifinal game on Friday. Both teams are 31-0.

The IWU men's team was a 70-49 winner over Wittenberg and also advances to the final four. The only other teams to have both men and women teams represented in the final four in Division III were Washington U. in 2009 and 2007, Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2004 and Centre in 1989.

In the game against Carthage, the Titans roared out to an early 14-0 lead before the Lady Reds scored a free throw and the Titans held Carthage from getting a field goal until 10:09 to play in the half when a 3-pointer by Allison Groessel made the score 21-7. The Titans, with 18 first half points from senior Olivia Lett, coasted into the locker room at intermission with a 36-24 lead.

But the Lady Reds stormed back in the second period, shooting 60 percent (18 of 30). Carthage started the second half with a 9-3 run to get within six at 39-33 and closed to within four at 42-38 after senior Dani Ripkey knocked in a 3-pointer with 16:23 to go. The Lady Reds got within two at two times - 44-42 and 48-46 at 9:55 before the Titans stemmed the tide and went on a 12-3 run of their own to claim an 11-point, 60-49 lead.

For the game, Illinois Wesleyan shot 42 percent from the field (25 of 60) and made 10-of-28 from 3-point range, while Carthage shot 43 percent (23 of 53) and made 7 of 16 from 3-point territory.

The Titans were 17 of 19 from the free throw line while Carthage made just 16 of their 28 free throws (57 percent).

Carthage had a 41-35 rebounding edge and committed 18 turnovers to 12 by IWU.

Lett finished with a game-high 24 points and had 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Sophomore Lexi Baltes came off the bench and scored a career-high 12 points with four rebounds while junior Melissa Gardner added 11 points. Senior Brittany Hasselbring handed out a game-high 6 assists.

Diana Jacklin led Carthage with 18 points while Ripkey scored 17 and junior Cailee Corcoran added 13 points.

Illinois Wesleyan finished fourth in the NCAA Division III tournament last season when it was hosted by IWU at the Shirk Center.