Denison Big Red (29-2) vs. University of Scranton Lady Royals (32-0)
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Where: Roanoke College’s Cregger Center, Salem, Virginia
Tickets: Go to ncaatickets.com
On the air: Live streaming is available through ESPN+. You must have an ESPN+ subscription to watch the broadcasts.
How they got here: Denison earned an at-large bid from the North Coast Athletic Conference to the NCAA tournament. The Big Red defeated Southern Virginia, 82-47; Trine, 63-54; John Carroll, 86-67; Washington & Lee, 77-64; and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 82-61; Scranton won its 11th straight Landmark Conference championship to receive an automatic bid to the tournament. It beat Framingham State, 104-39; Otterbein, 82-43; Bates, 76-59; and Concordia-Moorhead, 67-42; and NYU, 60-52.
Coaches: Maureen Hirt is in her fourth season at Denison and has a record of 74-36. Ben O’Brien is in his fourth season at Scranton and has a record of 117-6.
Players to watch: Denison – Jr. 5-7 G Abby Cooch (13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 51 3-pointers, 121 assists), Jr. 6-0 G Ada Taute (13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 100 assists, 68 steals), So. 6-3 F Anelly Mad-Toingué (7.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 88 blocks), Fr. 5-8 G Molly Dorighi (6.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 58 steals), Sr. 5-11 G Brooke Toigo (7.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 44 3-pointers), Jr. 5-10 G/F Adelyn Moore (8.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 40 3-pointers); Scranton – Sr. 5-11 G Kaci Kranson (17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 50 3-pointers, 40 steals), Jr. 5-11 F Elizabeth Bennett (12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 41 3-pointers, 36 blocks), Jr. 6-0 F Katie Gorski (11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 47 steals, 34 blocks), Sr. 5-4 G Kaeli Romanowski (5.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 127 assists, 124 steals), Jr. 5-5 G Meghan Lamanna (10.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 65 3-pointers, 69 assists, 27 steals), Fr. 5-6 G Sophia Talutto (7.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 27 3-pointers, 66 assists, 70 steals).
Noteworthy: This is Denison’s eighth NCAA appearance (7-7). It had never advanced past the second round in its first seven trips. … The Big Red averages 75.9 points and allows 56.4. … Denison’s 29 wins are a program record, surpassing the 28 victories in 2010-11. … The Big Red started the season 17-0 before losing to Ohio Wesleyan, 72-65, on Jan. 24. They led, 62-52, with 4:30 left, but Ohio Wesleyan scored the next 18 points and closed the game on a 20-3 run. Denison’s other loss came to DePauw, 75-59, in the NCAC semifinals. … Cooch is a first-team all-NCAC selection and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention. She scored her 1,000th career point in the second-round win over Trine, the 14th player in program history to accomplish the feat. She currently has 1,059 career points. … Taute also is first-team all-NCAC and was named a WBCA All-American. … Mad-Toingué is a third-team all-NCAC choice. She ranks fourth in Division III in blocked shots with 88. … Scranton is making its 38th NCAA appearance, the most in Division III women’s basketball. It has an 80-40 tournament record. … The Lady Royals are seeking their second national championship; the first came in 1985. … Scranton ranks first in Division III in scoring defense at 43.1 points and second in scoring offense at 80.4 points. … Kranson was named WBCA All-American. She has 1,992 career points, which ranks first in Landmark Conference history and second in program history. … Romanowski was named WBCA All-America honorable mention. … This is the first meeting between the schools.
— SCOTT WALSH