Pairs book trips to the Sweet 16

Mar 05, 2011
Chelsie Schweers passed Kean's Melissa Beyruti and became Division III's all-time leading 3-point shooter.
 CNU athletics photo 

The two USA South teams in the tournament will each continue into the Sweet 16. Nikki Wilborn hit a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left to lift Greensboro to a road win at St. Vincent and Chelsie Schweers scored 37 points and became Division III's all-time leading 3-point shooter in lifting Christopher Newport to an 81-62 win at home against Johns Hopkins.

"My first thought was that she made the shot to get my first win last year at Bridgewater," said Greensboro coach Randy Tuggle. "Now she hits one to send us to the Sweet 16."

Wilborn finished with 17 points while Danielle Duncan had a game-high 28.

No. 1 Thomas More survived a challenge from Mount Union, as four Saints scored in double figures to win 76-63 and keep Thomas More undefeated heading into the Sweet 16.

The UAA eliminated the MIAA from the Division III women's basketball tournament. No. 12 Washington University won at 56-52 No. 4 Hope, ending Hope's 76-game home winning streak in a rematch of last year's national title game, while No. 6 Chicago defeated No. 18 Calvin at Calvin 67-62. Muhlenberg kept the University of Rochester from making it three UAA teams in the field with a 72-69 upset on the road. 

Hope pulled within two points, 48-46, but Dani Hoover hit an 8-foot floater in the lane with 2:28 to play to put her team back up by four. After the Bears got a defensive stop they fed  Hoover once again, and she hit a 3-pointer from the corner with under two minutes remaining to give Washington U. its largest lead of the game, 53-46.

Nicki Wurdeman posted a double-double in Babson's win.
 SUNY Geneseo athletics photo by Keith Walters 

Two NJAC teams reached the round of 16 as well. Senior forward Tiffany Patrick had game-high of 21 points and 16 rebounds to lead Kean past Western Connecticut State 82-64 while William Paterson advanced at the expense of Colby, 58-53. The Pioneers had to score eight of the final 10 points to stave off the upset. And while Colby was eliminated, Amherst got past Eastern Connecticut State with ease and Bowdoin beat Mount St. Mary to reach the sectional semifinals.

Babson remained unbeaten as well, as Nicki Wurdeman scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half and posted her 11th double-double of the season with 12 rebounds in a 65-53 win against Geneseo State. Kathleen King added a double-double as well, with 11 points and 12 boards.

Hannah Munger had 19 points and a pair of blocked shots as George Fox advanced off the west coast with a 63-47 win against Louisiana College. They will face UW-Stevens Point, which defeated Simpson. Howard Payne jumped out to a 12-point lead against Coe, but the homestanding Kohawks ended the first half on a 19-5 run and ended the second half on a 15-5 run to put the Yellow Jackets away, 79-56.