DePauw hangs on to win NCAC Women's Basketball Tournament over Ohio Wesleyan

DePauw survived a nervy fourth quarter to win the NCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Final over Ohio Wesleyan 56-53. The Tigers won their eighth NCAC Tournament title, their first since 2020 and will host Berea in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament March 1.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

DePauw may have hosted the last seven editions of the NCAC Women’s Basketball Tournament but Saturday’s championship game against Ohio Wesleyan was the first time any of the current squad had been under the finals spotlight.

The Tigers last played for a spot in the NCAA Tournament in 2020, beating Denison, but saw the 2021 tournament canceled due to COVID and sat on the sidelines the past two seasons after loses to Wittenberg and the Battling Bishops in the semifinal round.

With both teams realistically needing the conference’s automatic bid to reach NCAA Tournament, the final ebbed and flowed through the first three quarters before turning into a nervy grind in the final 10 minutes.

DePauw held its nerve late, getting four crucial points from Alina Prusko in the final two minutes, to hold off Ohio Wesleyan 56-53, winning its eighth NCAC Tournament title since joining the conference in the 2011-12 season.

“The conference was stacked this year, so every game was a battle and facing a team for a third time this year really difficult,” DePauw head coach Kris Huffman said. “Ohio Wesleyan is a great team with a lot of talent and we feel fortunate to gut out this win.”

Lily Huntzinger opened the game with a layup but it would be nearly three minutes before the next basket as both teams looked for openings at the start.

Alyssa Griner tied the game at 2-2 and gave Ohio Wesleyan its first lead, utilizing her length to score a tough layup at 4-3.

Kasey Schipfer helped the Battling Bishops keep the lead the rest of the quarter, scoring six points to match baskets from Riley Mont, Ainsley Boras and Lyla Barr as the visitors led 11-9 after a period of play.

Both offenses found a groove in the second quarter as Ohio Wesleyan stretched the lead to six off a Griner jumper before baskets from Mont, Lydia Stullken, Huntzinger and an Ava Hassel three saw the Tigers move in front by a point.

Macy Miller and Hassel traded baskets before Miller and Schipfer scored to make it 23-20 midway through the quarter.

Olivia Hart scored on a putback and Boras added another basket in the post before Diana Burgher hit a three to make it 27-23.

Moira McKinley added another three though free throws from Griner and Miller kept the score close at the break as DePauw led 30-27.

“When you focus on trying to limit (Schipfer’s) touches, it’s going to open things up for someone else,” Huffman said about defending the Battling Bishops’ leading scorer. “Schipfer is such a big part of what they do and we wanted to limit her good looks.

“Griner took advantage of that because she’s also a really good player.”

Ohio Wesleyan hit its sole three of the night through Lauren Denison early in the third quarter but Hassel hit one right back as the Tiger attack shifted from an inside attack to a longer range game.

Hassel added a second three while Mont hit one of her own and Burger added a jumper as both teams juggled lineup changes with fouls forcing several players out of the game.

Trailing 45-40, the Battling Bishops tied the game in a 21-second stretch as Elizabeth Homan hit a free throw, Miller stole the ensuing inbounds pass for a layup and Griner stole the ball on the following play, setting up Schipfer for a layup.

“(Ohio Wesleyan) works an aggressive style of play,” Huffman said about the visiting defense as the Tigers committed 22 turnovers on the afternoon. “They’re in your face, you have to worry about protecting the ball before finding an open teammate and they take charges so well.

“We got sped up offensively and had a few uncharacteristic turnovers but we’re grateful we had enough go right that we get to march on.”

DePauw was able to maintain the lead as Hart scored in the final minute of the period as the Tigers took a 47-45 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.

Hart and Boras scored on looks at the basket to start the fourth quarter but, as the situation unfolded, nerves grabbed both teams and refused to be shaken off.

Schipfer hit a jumper inside the eight-minute mark but shots for both teams refused to fall for the remainder of the contest.

It took three minutes for Schipfer to score at the rim, cutting the deficit to two at 51-49 with Mont getting a free throw to go down to make it a three-point game with 3:28 to play.

Schipfer got to the rim again a minute later and Hassel missed a three on the other end, but Stullken managed to secure the offensive rebound and, out of a lengthy break following a video review, Prusko hit a runner in the lane to score the final DePauw basket of the night.

Missing a runner of her own, Schipfer got her own rebound and scored to cut the lead to one but Homan missed a three on the following possession and Prusko hit both free throws when fouled in the final seconds.

“Alina really stepped up,” Huffman said. “When she made that little runner with the shot clock running down, it was a big bucket for us.

“She also knocked down both free throws after having to stand around and think about for a long time. I’m so happy with her toughness in that moment.”

Schipfer missed a three to tie and Miller couldn’t get the follow-up to go down as the Tigers claimed their eighth NCAC Tournament title.

“No doubt about it, this was new for us,” Huffman said about the lack of experience in the title game. “I did like our focus this last week.

“You get to the end of the season and there’s a different feel when it comes to the conference tournament. We were pretty locked in.

“We had a little prep time, so we tweaked some things (Saturday) morning and we did a nice job with the gameplan and held our composure down the stretch,” Huffman added.

DePauw will host Berea in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament March 1 at 8:30 p.m. with Hope facing Ripon on the same day at 6 p.m.; the winners of the two games will meet on March 2 at 8 p.m.

“We ask a lot of these young women in terms of time, energy and sacrifice a lot of other things,” Huffman said about returning to the NCAA Tournament. “To get this payoff is really wonderful.”

Scoring

Ohio Wesleyan (19-50 2FGl 1-12 3FGl 12-14 FT) — Schipfer 18, Griner 17, Miller 8, Ross 4, Homan 3, Denison 3

DePauw (17-38 2FG; 6-18 3FG; 4-6 FT) — Hassel 11, Mont 10, Burgher 6, Boras 6, Hart 5, McGinley 4, Prusko 4, Huntzinger 4, Stulken 2, Barr 2

Statistics