University of St. Thomas Athletics
26-4
Wartburg
22-7
Treys sink Women's Hoops in Sweet 16 loss
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Unranked Wartburg outscored No. 8-ranked St. Thomas 30-15 from 3-point range and recorded a 70-66 win in Friday night's Division III women's basketball sectional tournament opener at UST's Schoenecker Arena.
The Knights (22-7) have beaten two ranked teams on the road in the last seven days.
UST junior center Kaitlin Langer had 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, and senior guard Katie Stone scored 12 and closed her career with 988 points.
St. Thomas (26-4) had a 16-game win streak halted. It outrebounded Wartburg 31-22 and shot 52 percent from the floor, but was hurt by 21 turnovers. The game featured four ties and 12 lead changes, but Wartburg used a game-closing 12-7 advantage over the final 4:00.
The Knights, who have won nine of their last 10 games, had five players score in double figures and shot 50 percent from the field, including 10-of-19 from behind the arc. Katie Sommer scored 13 points. Kristie Sommer chipped in 12 points and on defense helped hold Stone to just 5-of-13 shooting. Miranda Murphy had 10 points and five assists.
Wartburg plays Texas-Tyler (30-1) Saturday at 7 p.m., at St. Thomas with a trip to the Final Four at stake.
The No. 6-ranked Patriots tied their game in the closing seconds of regulation on D'Onna Mathews' baseline jumper, then took control late in overtime to hand No. 2-ranked George Fox (Ore.) (29-1) its first loss of the season.
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Tourney Preview
Three top-10 ranked teams plus one dangerous unranked squad compete Friday at St. Thomas' Schoenecker Arena in the Division III women's basketball sectional tourney.
Coach Ruth Sinn's St. Thomas women were awarded the host duties. The No. 8-ranked Tommies (26-3) will play unranked Wartburg (21-7) on Friday March 11 at 8 p.m. No. 2-ranked George Fox (Ore.) (29-0) and No. 6-ranked Texas-Tyler (29-1) meet in the evening's first game at 5:30 p.m.
Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students.
Here's a quick look at each team:
George Fox
The unbeaten Bruins are looking to return to the Final Four for the second year in a row and fourth time in eight years. Their lone defeat in their last 61 games was 83-63 to Thomas More in the 2015 NCAA championship game on a neutral court. Thomas More had beaten St. Thomas one week earlier, 75-58. The Bruins and Texas-Tyler have never played in women's basketball. Goerge Fox starts three seniors and one junior.
Texas-Tyler
The Patriots have won 21 in a row and average just over nine made 3-pointers per game. They have scored 85 or more points in 15 of 30 games. They are in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons. Tyler has five players scoring between 9 and 18 ppg and has no senior starters.
Wartburg
An at-large tourney selection, the Knights won two games last week in Oshkosh, Wis., including a 10-point win over No. 11-ranked Oshkosh, the second win of the season against the Titans. Wartburg has won 12, 17 and now 21 games over its last three seasons. Wartburg lost five of six games in January but has rebounded to win eight of its last nine. Wartburg has just two seniors, both are starters.
St. Thomas
The Tommies rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to edge Loras in overtime on March 4, then won 67-46 on UW-River Falls' home court on Saturday. That pushed UST's season win streak to 16, and sent the Tommies to the Sweet 16 round for the fourth time in five seasons. The Toms start just one senior after graduating seven of their top nine from a 30-1 team of 2014-15. St. Thomas has never played George Fox or Texas (Tyler). The Toms beat Wartburg 15 months ago at Schoenecker Arena, 78-50, although both rosters are very different now. UST broke a conference record for made 3-pointers this season.
