1997-98 MIAC Women's Basketball NCAA Games

Sat. March 7, 1998

NCAA Division III
Womens Basketball
Second-round playoff game

St. Thomas (Minn.) 85
Central (Ia.) 56

        ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Junior guard Paige Olson had 15 of her 19 points in the first half to spark host St. Thomas (25-1) to a 15-point halftime lead en route to a 29-point win over Central (Ia.) College (18-8) Saturday night in NCAA Division III womens basketball playoff action in Schoenecker Arena.
        The Tommies, ranked No. 2 nationally, ran their season win streak to 13. They are 16-0 in home NCAA playoffs games in the 1990s, and have won 48 of its last 49 home games. UST senior center Kirsten Vipond had 16 points and nine rebounds and soph forward Erin Hempel added 14 points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard Amy Ginsburg added 10 assists, seven points and five steals for St. Thomas. Vipond scored six points to fuel a 12-3 run that built a 56-32 lead to open the second-half. USTs pressure defense helped force 28 turnovers for Central. The Dutch shot just 32% from the field (18-of-57) to USTs 46% (29-of-63).
        Central outrebounded UST 42-38. Junior guard Kari Adkins had 13 points off the bench and soph forward Abbie Brown had 12 points off the bench to lead the Dutch, who had won 16 of their last 18 coming in. Central freshman center Candace Wilson added eight points and seven rebounds.
        UST will play DePauw and St. Ben's will play Mount Union next Friday at a time and site to be determined (either at St. Thomas or St. John's in Collegeville).

end

Sat. March 7, 1998

NCAA Division III
Womens Basketball
Second-round playoff game

St. Benedict (Minn.) 73
UC-San Diego 47

Sophomore basketball player Beth Holbrook, Onamia, was named Blazer Athlete of the Week for her performance against UC-San Diego in the NCAA Tournament. Holbrook scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench, to help CSB defeat the Tritons 73-47.

For the fifth time during the 1990's the CSB basketball team (25-2 overall, 21-1 MIAC co-champions) is heading back to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Blazers will take on Mt. Union (26-2 overall) on Friday, March 13, at 8 p.m. If CSB wins, they would play the winner of the Depauw (Ind) vs St. Thomas winner on Saturday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. At stake a trip to the NCAA Final Four the following weekend at a site to be determined. Saint Ben's advanced in the tournament after defeating UC-San Diego 73-47 last Saturday, March 7. CSB led by seven points at intermission 31-27, but then out-scored the Tritons 42-23 in the second half. Junior Robyn Ruschmeier, Plato, led all scorers with 17 points, while sophomores Jenny Blaser, Austin, Beth Holbrook, Onamia, and Molly Mark, St. Cloud, all scored in double figures.

Fri. March 13, 1998

NCAA Division III
Womens Basketball
Sectional Semifinal Game

St. Thomas (Minn.) 80
DePauw (Ind.) 61

        ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Senior center Kirsten Vipond had 24 points, including nine during a 29-2 first-half run, to propel host St. Thomas (26-1) to an 80-61 victory over DePauw (Ind.) (24-4) in an NCAA Division III womens basketball sectional semifinal game Friday night in Schoenecker Arena.
        Vipond, the NCAA Division III field-goal percentage leader at 71.3%, made 11-of-13 shots and added six rebounds.
       The Tommies, ranked No. 2 nationally, ran their season win streak to 14. They are 17-0 in home NCAA playoffs games in the 1990s, and have won 49 of its last 50 home games.
        DePauw led 8-6 with 16:15 to play in the first half before Vipond had nine points and junior guard Paige Olson hit 10 points to fuel a 29-2 run over a 9:01 streatch. Olson finished with 18 points, including 4-of-6 in three-pointers.
        St. Thomas shot 63% from the field in the first half and 59% on the game (32-of-54) and led 47-25 at halftime.          DePauw shot 33% from the field in the first half and 35% on the game (17-of-49). Kelly Morrision scored 14 of her team-high 18 points in the second half. Susan Bender added 15 points and Kelly Bailey had 11 points and six rebounds.
        St. Thomas freshman guard Amy Ginsburg added 10 assists.
        The Tommies play the winner of the second semifinal game between Mount
Union and St. Benedict in Saturdays 7:30 p.m. sectional final at UST.

end

Fri. March 13, 1998

NCAA Division III
Womens Basketball
Sectional Semifinal Game

Mount Union (Ohio) 79
St. Benedict (Minn.) 74

        ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Senior point guard Suzy Venet had 15 of her 19 points in the second-half as Mount Union (27-2) rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to post a 79-74 win over St. Benedict (Minn.) (25-2) in an NCAA Division III womens basketball sectional semifinal game Friday night at the
University of St. Thomas.
       The Raiders move on to play St. Thomas (26-1) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Tommies gym, with a berth in the national semifinals on the line. St. Thomas scored an 80-61 victory over DePauw (Ind.) in the first game, ending the Tigers win streak at 15 games.
        The Raiders, who fell behind 11-2 in the first four minutes, ran their win streak to 13 by outscoring the Blazers 19-8 in the final 7:00. Venet, held to four first half points on 1-of-4 shooting, sparked the victory with her all-around floor play.
        St. Bens built a 40-25 lead before a 9-2 Raider run over the final 2:18 cut the halftime score to 42-34. The Raiders made just 2-of-11 three-pointers in the first half but made 10-of-10 at the line in the first half to stay within reach. They made 4-of-8 threes in the second half to erase the Blazer lead.
        Soph forward Katie Harrington gave the Raiders their first lead of the game with 2:21 as she drove for a layup that put them ahead 72-70. Venet stole the inbound pass and made a layup that built the lead to 74-70. After the Blazer spulled within 76-74 on two Laura Wendorff free throws with 1:33 to go, Meggan Few put Mount Union ahead 78-74, and Venet added a free throw in the final 30
seconds.
        Venet finished with eight assists, six rebounds and four steals to go with her 19 points. Harrington scored 12 points, Danielle Jones added 11 points and 11 rebounds and Neily Stouffer added 11 points. The Raiders shot 51 percent in the second half.
        Wendorff had 17 points and eight rebounds at halftime and finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds. St. Bens senior Molly Mark scored all 16 of her points in the second half and added seven assists.

end

Sat. March 14, 1998

NCAA Division III
Womens Basketball
Sectional Final Game

Mount Union (Ohio) 67
St. Thomas (Minn.) 63

        ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Senior point guard Suzy Venet had a game-high 20 points, including 4-of-4 free throws in the final 28 seconds, and Mount Union   (28-2) sank 11-of-28 three-point baskets to post a 67-63 victory over host St Thomas (26-2) in an NCAA Division III womens basketball sectional final game Saturday night in Schoenecker Arena.
        Mount Union advances to next weeks national semifinals and will play next Friday vs. Southern Maine, a 81-72 winner over Johns Hopkins. Rowan and Washington U also advanced to the Final Four. Its Mount Unions second trip to the Final Four in three seasons.
        St. Thomas was saddled with foul trouble most of the game but took a 33-28 halftime lead, outscoring the Raiders 9-0 over the final 3:54 of the first half.The Raiders shot just 29% in the first half but stayed close with seven threes. They survived 33% shooting on the game.
        Mount Union regained the lead for good with 8:56 to go on a three-pointer by Lacey Simmons -- her only points of the game. The Toms pulled within 61-59 with 4:00 to go but missed four of six free throws down the stretch. The Raiders made 16-of-19 at the line to USTs 13-of-21.
        Danielle Jones added 18 points and 11 rebounds and Meggan Few scored 11
for the Raiders, who won their 14th in a row.
        Erin Hempel had 16 points and eight rebounds, Kirsten Vipond had 14 points, seven rebounds and five asists and Tara Miller scored 10 for the Toms, who had a 13-game win streak snapped. The Toms, trying to reach the Final Four for the third time in four seasons, came in 18-0 in home NCAA playoff games in the 1990s.
        Vipond, the Toms lone senior, made 6-of-10 shots and finished the season at 71.4%, breaking an NCAA Division III season field-goal record of 69.9%.

end
3/7 | UST 85 Central 56 | St. Ben's 73 UC San Diego 47 |
Sectional 3/13 | UST 80 DePauw 61| Mt. Union 79 St. Ben's 74 | 3/14 Mount Union 67 UST 63 |