Women's Basketball: NCAA Division III Tournament First-Round Preview

TIPOFF

The Hope College women's basketball team makes its 20th appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament this weekend in Waverly, Iowa. The Flying Dutch received an at-large berth after finishing runner-up in the MIAA Tournament. It is a 5:30 p.m. Central tipoff against Wheaton College.

RECORDS

Hope: 23-4 overall. No. 9 WBCA/No. 10 d3hoops

Wheaton: 22-5. No. 21 d3hoops

HEAD COACHES

Hope: Brian Morehouse, 23rd season (581-89)

Wheaton: Kent Madsen, ninth season (192-54)

Photo of Francesca Buchanan by Lynne Powe

NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET

NCAA Interactive Bracket

d3hoops PDF bracket

NEXT GAME

The Hope-Wheaton winner advances to Saturday's second-round game against either host Wartburg College (24-3) or Bethany Lutheran College, Minnesota (22-5). Tipoff is 7 p.m. Central on Saturday, March 2.

POSTSEASON HISTORY

Hope is 38-17 all-time in NCAA Tournament play — a 69.1 winning percentage. The Flying Dutch are 13-6 in NCAA Tournament first-round games, including a 75-50 victory against Cornell College (Iowa) last season at DeVos Fieldhouse. Hope has made seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and 13 postseason trips in the past 14 seasons.

HOPE-WHEATON HISTORY

The Flying Dutch are 9-4 all-time against Wheaton, including 1-0 in NCAA Tournament play (64-37 in a 2013 first-round game. In their last meeting, Hope edged the Thunder 99-97 in overtime at DeVos Fieldhouse in the 2016-17 season opener.

STARTING FIVE

Hope College

F Francesca Buchanan, 6-0, Sr. (14.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 50.2 FG)

F Olivia Voskuil, 6-3, Soph. (7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg. 2.1 bpg, 1.5 spg)

G Kenedy Schoonveld, 5-10, Soph. (10.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg)

G Sydney Muller, 5-9, Soph. (7.4 ppg, 2.2 apg)

G Lauren Newman, 5-7, Soph. (6.0 ppg, 2.0 apg)

Wheaton College

C Hannah Frazier (20.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 49.9 FG)

F Devin Kyler, 6-2, Sr. (7.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.3 apg)

F Jordan Myroth, 5-11, Jr. (7.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg)

G Kristi Demski, 5-9, Jr. (5.9 ppg)

G Hannah Williams. 5-10, Soph. (11.4 ppg)

SCOUTING REPORT

Head coach Brian Morehouse on Wheaton, "I think they're one of the more difficult teams to guard in the nation because of their length. They just run great motion offenses. It's almost impossible to take them out of what they're doing. You just have to have a hand up when they're shooting, do the best you can on their center."

RANKING WITH NATION'S BEST

Hope is tied for 18th in scoring offense at 76.6 points per game and 12th in scoring defense at 49.4 points per game. The Flying Dutch are seventh in turnover margin at plus-9.0 and 17th in field-goal percentage defense (32.7).