Anaya Simmons and Christopher Newport were unstoppable in the Coast-to-Coast conference tournament. Photo by Christopher Newport University athletics

Three teams will enter the 2022 NCAA Tournament with perfect records, and six more will enter it for the first time ever after Saturday's Division III women's basketball conference tournament action.

• Who's going dancing: Men | Women
• Saturday scoreboard: Men | Women
• Saturday men: A few bids stolen in early finals
• Friday night: Bulldogs, Blugolds bring home bids
• More headlines: Men | Women

Christopher Newport, Transylvania and Webster wrapped up their undefeated runs to the tournament in different ways.

No. 1 Christopher Newport traveled coast to coast to win the Coast-to-Coast conference’s automatic bid, as the Captains held off UC Santa Cruz in California, 71-64.

Christopher Newport started the second half with a one-point lead and quickly expanded it with an 11-0 run. The Banana Slugs pulled within two possessions a couple times, including 69-64 with 33 seconds left. CNU All-American Sondra Fan stole an errant pass, got fouled and split the free throws. UC Santa Cruz missed a layup on its next possession and Anaya Simmons grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled. She split her free throws and put the game away.

Simmons and Fan scored 19 points apiece for Christopher Newport (24-0). Fan hit four 3-pointers and Simmons grabbed 13 rebounds. Kaylee Murphy had a double-double for the Banana Slugs (22 points, 17 rebounds) who await their fate in the pool of teams hoping for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

No, 4 Transylvania jumped on Anderson early and cruised to a 81-51 victory over the Ravens in the HCAC championship. The Pioneers (24-0) led Anderson 29-7 after one period and 50-17 after the first half. Kennedi Stacy had 24 points for Transylvania which held HCAC player of the year Lexi Dellinger to seven points on 3-for-10 shooting.

Webster got pushed by Westminster (Mo.) before overcoming the Bluejays, 82-71, in the SLIAC tournament final. Westminster took a 57-52 lead on the Gorlocks when Reese Arnold hit a jump shot three minutes into the fourth quarter. Webster responded with a 6-0 run capped by a Jordyn Grimes jumper and then Grimes scored again to start the game-deciding 11-0 run. Naomi Johnson hit a three with 3:09 to play, putting the Gorlocks in front by 11, and they put the game away at the foul line.

Addison Beussink sank half of her shots on the way to 26 points on 9-for-18 shooting. She also had 12 rebounds in 25 minutes for Webster (25-0)

No. 13 Scranton needed fourth-quarter rallies to beat Catholic in their first two matchups, but not in Saturday’s Landmark Conference title game. The Lady Royals led wire-to-wire and defeated the Cardinals, 68-51. Abby Anderson posted 21 points and 11 rebounds for Scranton (24-2) which will make its 34th trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Not too far from Scranton, Clarks Summit clinched its first trip to the NCAA Tournament with a 82-71 win over Keystone in the CSAC championship, 82-71. The Defenders played four starters 40 minutes and the fifth 38. Elizabeth Singleton and Torri Laman combined for 48 points and 25 rebounds for Clarks Summit.

The upset-laden NJAC tournament came to a close with sixth-seed New Jersey City defeating eighth-seed TCNJ 58-52 for the conference's automatic bid. The Gothic Knights opened the fourth quarter with a 9-1 spurt and took the lead for good on Jimmirah Johnson's layup. The Lions pulled with two with less than four minutes to play, but Damaris Rodriguez scored on a fast break and Laney Fox hit a jumper to push New Jersey's City's lead back to six.

Johnson paced NJCU with 12 points and 15 rebounds, seven on the offensive side. The Gothic Knights won the 2021 NJAC tournament but this one carries an automatic bid and the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Two conferences with regular season co-champions saw the road team win the rubber match and the automatic bid that goes with it.

No. 2 Hope went on the road and beat No. 3 Trine, 54-50, to secure the MIAA tournament title. The Thunder led 43-38 in the fourth quarter and had several chances to expand its lead as Hope struggled at the foul line. But the Flying Dutch's defense came the game close and then Hope took the lead on Kasey DeSmit's three-pointer with three minutes to play. Sydney Muller followed with a driving layup and DeSmit hit another three on Hope's next possession, giving the Flying Dutch a 52-46 advantage. Muller added two free throws and Olivia Voskuil swatted a would-be three-pointer to preserve Hope's victory.

Illinois Wesleyan went to Decatur, Ill. and pulled out a victory over Millikin, 80-73, in a back-and-forth battle for the CCIW tournament crown. The teams traded leads 12 times, with the final one coming on Kate Palmer's layup with 1:22 to play. That gave the Titans a 74-72 lead and the Big Blue managed just one free throw and two missed shots against the Illinois Wesleyan's defense the rest of the way.

After going on the road and winning in double-overtime in the SCIAC semifinals, Whittier did it again in the conference championship game. The Poets went to Pomona-Pitzer and beat the Sagehens 79-63 in overtime. SCIAC Player of the Year Teani White tallied 28 points, nine rebounds and five assists and Lainie James scored 28 for Whittier.

Wittenberg also worked overtime to win the NCAC's automatic bid from the fourth seed. The Tigers outlasted Ohio Wesleyan 64-58 in an overtime game that had 13 ties and 13 lead changes. Delaney Williams scored seven of her 11 points in the extra period for Wittenberg. which will make its tenth trip to the NCAA Tournament and first since 2015.

The United East Conference finale also had bonus basketball before Morrisville State defeated host Gallaudet 74-69 in overtime. Cara Walker and Rachel Vieira scored 20 points apiece for the Mustangs who will make their NCAA Tournament debut. Cassidy Perry notched 20 points and 11 rebounds for Gallaudet. 

All-American Katie Garrish racked up 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks and Southern Virginia picked up its first NCAA Tournament bid with a 73-62 victory over Berea in the USA South championship. The Knights moved into the USA South from the Capital Athletic Conference (now Coast-to-Coast Conference) this season.

Brianna Fitzgerald's layup with 90 seconds left proved to be the difference in SUNY New Paltz's 66-63 win over Cortland in the SUNYAC championship game. The Red Dragons and Hawks traded empty possessions until Maddie Gillis added a free throw that gave SUNY New Paltz a 66-63 lead. Cortland called time out but only managed a missed layup on its final try. Lexi Van Vorst scored 19 points and went 7-for-7 from the foul line for the Hawks, who shot 15 for 16 from there as a team. SUNY New Paltz's win likely turns the SUNYAC into a two-bid conference and will someone else's bubble on Selection Monday.

Rank and Roll: Cards, Cowgirls capture crowns

Hardin-Simmons' defense kept Texas-Dallas in check during Saturday night's ASC title game. Photo by East Texas Baptist athletics

No. 25 Hardin-Simmons did it with defense in the ASC tournament finale, as the Cowgirls held Texas-Dallas to 16 field goals against 16 turnovers in a 64-54 win. Hardin-Simmons got 18 points from Hallie Edmondson a near double-double from Natasha Blizzard (15 points, nine rebounds). The Cowgirls' win keeps the ASC as a three-bid conference with Mary Hardin-Baylor and East Texas Baptist in line for at-large bids. Hardin-Simmons is going to its eighth NCAA Tournament but its first since 2006.

Speaking of defense, there was plenty of it in the Centennial Conference tournament final. Gettysburg held Johns Hopkins to 24 percent shooting (14 for 59) and rallied past the Blue Jays, 43-40. The Bullets (24-3), who lead Division III in field-goal percentage defense, have won the Centennial Conference three times and allowed 46, 35 and 40 points in those wins.

No. 22 St. John Fisher rolled over Rochester-region rival Nazareth, 83-52, in the Empire 8 title game. Everyone in the Cardinals’ lineup scored double figures, led by Claire Kruszka who had 19 points. St. John Fisher will make its 18^th trip to the NCAA Tourament.

After losing to John Carroll twice in the regular season, No. 14 Baldwin Wallace broke through and beat the twelfth-ranked Blue Streaks 60-50 in the OAC title game. The Yellow Jackets took control with a 7-2 run midway through the third period in which Baldwin Wallace outscored John Carroll, 18-10. Lilly Edwards finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds for Baldwin Wallace (21-4). Olivia Nagy had 20 points and 11 rebounds for John Carroll (22-4), which will receive an at-large bid.

Cameron Kincaid put on a shown and No. 5 Simpson edged No. 19 Wartburg, 62-59, for the A-R-C's automatic bid. Kincaid had 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting and was 9-for-9 from the foul line, including two pressure-packed free throws with the Storm leading by one and 13 seconds remaining. Simpson (25-1), which leads the country in field goal percentage, shot 47 percent from the field.

No. 6 Whitman completed an impressive run through the NWC by dominating Pacific, 76-57, in the conference tournament finale. The Blues (26-1) outscored the Boxers 27-3 from behind the arc. Kaylie McCracken scored 24 points in just 23 minutes for Whitman.

For more info on all the Division III women's basketball conference tournaments, check out our 2021-22 Division III women's basketball conference tournament tracker.

Mitchell, Mighty Macs to make NCAA Tourney debut

Mitchell won the 2022 NECC championship and what may be the conference's final automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Mitchell College athletics

In even more championship action:

• Washington and Jefferson used its depth and interior dominance to beat Westminster (Pa.) 58-42 in the PAC championship. The Presidents had a 17-0 advantage in bench scoring and a 24-12 edge in points in the paint. W&J will make its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and its first since 2010.
  
  
• La Roche returned to the top of the AMCC as the Redhawks knocked off Pitt-Greensburg, 72-59. Danajah Sanders scored 19 points and Machia Harriston had a career-high 20 rebounds for La Roche. This is the Redhawks' ninth AMCC championship and ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
  
  
• It was a Red-letter day for Red Hawks with Ripon beating Monmouth 62-55 for the Midwest Conference championship. Alison Leslie had 21 points for Ripon and the Redhawks' reserves outscored the Scots' reserves 24-2. This will be Ripon's fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament.
  
  
• Immaculata shut out Gwynedd Mercy for the last three minutes and pulled away for a 70-57 victory in the Atlantic East Conference championship. Theresa Kearney scored 15 points for the Immaculata which won three national championships in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) but have never been to the NCAA Tournament.
  
  
• Morina Bojka scored 19 points and led Mount St. Mary to its 13th Skyline Conference title with a 61-53 win over Merchant Marine Academy. Bojka, who also had 11 rebounds, was named Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. The Knights will be in NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in program history.
  
  
• A good woman was not hard to fine for Framingham. Flannery O’Connor scored 29 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Rams, and they topped Bridgewater State, 84-69, in the MASCAC championship. The Rams have made two straight NCAA tournaments.
  
  
• Roger Williams completed its impressive run through the CCC with a 67-46 win over Endicott in tournament finale. Caroline Elie had 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Hawks who will make their third NCAA Tournament appearance.
  
  
• Antonia Corsinetti scored a career-high 27 points and Rhode Island College beat Mass-Dartmouth 70-58 for the Little East Conference’s automatic bid. The Anchorwomen will make their fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament and first since 2014.
  
  
• Mitchell topped New England College 85-74 for what is likely the NECC's last automatic bid into NCAA Tournament. Le’Sandra Turner poured in 24 points for the Mariners (12-13) who will make their first NCAA Tournament appearance. The NECC had just four teams this season and will lose its automatic bid status if it continues play next season.
  
  
• Lyrik Jackson and Molly Burdick powered SUNY Poly to the NAC crown with a 76-57 victory over Husson. Jackson finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Burdick added 21 and 15 for the Wildcats who will be in the Tournament for the fifth time.