At a time when most headlines describe what has been lost, we could all use something to celebrate. Here's our second ever All-Decade team honoring the greatest Division III women's basketball players over the past 10 years. Men will follow later in the year.
Brian Neal, who helped put Thomas More on the road to national contention a decade ago before leaving for Division I, is back in D-III. He'll be the new head coach at Wittenberg.
The champions have been crowned and we not only recap the championships, but talk to the coaches who guided their teams to the titles. Plus, we talk about "The Calhoun Project" and Dave has a few items in his Notebook you should keep track of yourself. Get all caught up on the Season Finale!
Of the thousands of players in Division III women's basketball, these are the 25 we picked as the best in the country. Thomas More's Madison Temple was selected Player of the Year and Gabby Timmer of Calvin Rookie of the Year.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. Thomas More All-American Madison Temple put her team on her back in the fourth quarter and led the top-ranked Saints to a win over Scranton in Friday's semifinals.
It's going to be a busy week for Wheaton's Aston Francis and Thomas More's Madison Temple, and it kicks off with each of them winning the honor which goes to Division III's most well-rounded student-athlete.
As freshmen, they won it all. They didn't expect that it would take them this long to get back to the top. Two more wins, and Thomas More's seniors can end their final season the way they ended their first. Adam Turer has more in a Road to Salem feature.
Here's hoping Thomas More's Madison Temple has a big trophy case because she's going to take home a lot of them. She's our Great Lakes Player of the Year, her coach Jeff Hans is Coach of the Year and Gabby Timmer of Calvin is Rookie of the Year.
A record(s) shattering performance on the men's side highlights the weekend. Home teams, barely, holding their own highlights the women's weekend. Sunday night on Hoopsville, Dave and guests recap the weekend and look ahead at the Championship Weekends. Watch the show On Demand or listen to the podcast here.
Strong fourth quarters sent Scranton and Thomas More to the Final Four on Saturday night, while Bowdoin and St. Thomas punched their tickets to Salem with ease.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team out-scored 22nd-ranked Washington University in St. Louis, 31-15, in the fourth quarter to rally and defeat the Bears, 87-72, in the sectional finals of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints improve to 31-0 and advance their second-straight National Semifinal “Final Four” and third in the last four years. The Bears end the season at 22-7.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team defeated 18th-ranked and in-state rival Transylvania University, 89-74, tonight (Friday, March 8, 2019) in the Sectional Semifinals of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints remain undefeated at 30-0 and the Pioneers end the season at 27-3.
Fourth quarter rallies saved the day for Bowdoin and Tufts while Thomas More tore past Trine in the second half. Elsewhere Mary Hardin-Baylor won its Texas three-match and Wartburg dominated Hope.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The top-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team erased a double-digit halftime deficit tonight (Saturday, March 2, 2019) and defeated fifth-ranked Trine University, 67-59, in an NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Second Round game at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints remain undefeated at 29-0 and the Thunder end the season at 26-3.
The Salem Rotary Club announced the 20 finalists for Division III's premier award recognizing excellence on and off the court. The men's and women's award winner will be introduced on Thursday, March 14.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – Two Saints recorded a double-double tonight (Friday, March 1, 2019) as the No. 1-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team defeated Saint Vincent College, 79-54, in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints improve to 28-0 and the Bearcats end the season at 23-5.
When Thomas More ripped through a front-loaded schedule, there was a feeling of inevitability to them winning the title, despite the poll positioning. Then Bowdoin, St. Thomas and others showed what they can do while TMU was idle. So will TMU leave Division III on the highest note possible?
Amidst all the excitement of the last 72 hours, we have a new No. 1 team entering the NCAA Tournament and SUNY New Paltz makes its Top 25 debut. How high did Tufts rise? How far did St. Joseph's (Maine) fall? Who returned to the Top 25 just in time for the Tournament? Find out here.
(ALFRED, N.Y.) – The second-ranked and top-seeded Thomas More University women’s basketball team won its 12th-straight conference championship today (Sunday, February 24, 2019) as it defeated third-seeded University of Valley Forge, 92-47, in the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Championship Game in Alfred, New York. The Saints won the previous 11 championship in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) before leaving that conference this past summer. The Saints remain undefeated at 27-0 and the Patriots fall to 10-11.
(ALFRED, N.Y.) – Thomas More University head women’s basketball coach Jeff Hans earned his 200th career win today (Saturday, February 23, 2019) as the second-ranked and top-seeded Saints defeated fourth-seeded Alfred State College, 106-56, in the semifinal round of the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) Tournament in Alfred, New York. The Saints improve to 26-0 and the Pioneers end the season at 6-18.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – Thomas More University senior guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) reached two milestones today (Sunday, February 17, 2019) in the second-ranked Saints’ 96-54 win over Wilberforce University in front of a capacity crowd on Senior Day at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints end the regular season at 25-0 and Wilberforce falls to 12-12.
(LATROBE, Pa.) – The No. 2-ranked Thomas More women’s basketball team used a 27-2 second quarter to erase a two-point deficit tonight (Wednesday, January 30, 2019) and go onto post an 82-46 win over Saint Vincent College at the Carey Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The Saints improve to 24-0 and the Bearcats fall to 16-4.
After falling behind by 16, the Polar Bears roared past Amherst to stay unbeaten in conference and overall. Meanwhile Elizabethtown stunned Scranton, Trine swept Hope, and Thomas More returned to the court with a predictable result.
(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – The second-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team remained undefeated today (Saturday, January 26, 2019) as it defeated Geneva College, 90-57, inside Metheny Fieldhouse in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The Saints improve to 23-0 and the Golden Tornadoes fall to 2-16.
Can you have a No. 1 and No. 1A? This is as close to that situation as you can get, with Thomas More and Bowdoin tied based on points but the Polar Bears retaining the edge based on No. 1 votes.
(BELTON, Texas) – The second-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team defeated seventh-ranked University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 73-55, tonight (Monday, January 7, 2019) in a battle of unbeatens at the Mayborn Campus Center in Belton, Texas. The Saints improve to 22-0 and the Cru fall to 14-1.
After a close first half, No. 1 Bowdoin pulled away from No. 4 Tufts for a convincing road victory on Saturday afternoon, while No. 2 Thomas More rallied to win at No. 23 UT-Dallas. Plus Gettysburg tightened its grip on the Centennial and Mass-Boston snapped a small losing skid in style.
(RICHARDSON, Texas) – Thomas More University senior guard Madison Temple (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) scored a career-high 35 points and led the second-ranked Saints to a, 78-75, come-from-behind win over 23rd-ranked University of Texas at Dallas today (Saturday, January 5, 2019) at the UTD Activity Center. The Saints improve to 21-0 and the Comets fall to 9-4.
(CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky.) – The second-ranked Thomas More University women’s basketball team shot 62.5 percent from the field tonight (Thursday, January 3, 2019) and defeated NAIA 18th-ranked Lindsey Wilson, 88-54, in a future Mid-South Conference matchup at the Connor Convocation Center in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. The Saints remain undefeated at 20-0 and the Blue Raiders fall to 9-4.