NCAA Division III Women�s Basketball Tournament Preview �

#9 UW-Stevens Point (25-3) at #1 Washington University (25-0)
WU Field House (3,000) � St. Louis, Missouri
Saturday, March 2, 2002 � 3:00 p.m.

Game Outlook:

Two of the top-ranked teams in the country square off in a second round matchup as UW-Stevens Point travels to St. Louis to face four-time defending NCAA Division III champion Washington University. The Bears boast a 36-game winning streak, including 70 straight wins on their home court. UW-Stevens Point advanced to the game with an 88-52 win over Lake Forest in the opening round on Wednesday.

Broadcast:

     The game can be heard live on WWSP (89.9 FM) with Dan Mirman on the call. The game can also be heard on the Internet at http://www.uwsp.edu/stuorg/wwsp/. S-TV student television (Stevens Point cable channel 10) will air the game on tape delay at a time to be determined.

The Coaches:

 UW-Stevens Point head coach Shirley Egner has a 195-128 career record in her 13th season with the Pointers.

     Washington head coach Nancy Fahey boasts a 375-63 career mark in her 16th season at the helm. Fahey was a two-time All-Big Ten selection as a point guard at Wisconsin. She is a native of Belleville, Wis. 

NCAA Tournament Information:

     The winner of Saturday�s game will advance to a four-team sectional on Friday and Saturday, March 8-9 at a site to be determined. The UW-Stevens Point/Washington winner will meet the winner of a game between Lakeland and Webster that is also taking place in St. Louis on Saturday at 8 p.m. The sectional champion will advance to the Final Four. The Final Four takes place on March 15-16 in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Series History:

The Pointers and the Bears have never met. UW-Stevens Point has played one University Athletic Association opponent in its history, posting a 62-44 victory over Johns Hopkins (Md.) in 1999. That win also marked the Pointers� biggest win over a highly-ranked opponent in recent years, since the Bluejays were ranked second in the country at the time.

Pointers Update:

     UW-Stevens Point rolled to an 88-52 victory over Lake Forest in Wednesday�s opening round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. The win was the largest margin of victory of any of the 18 first round games around the country on Wednesday. Kari Groshek scored 22 points to pace the Pointers. She leads the team for the season at 15.4 points per game and has scored in double figures 15 straight games, though it was just the second time in the last nine games that Groshek has led the team in scoring. The Pointers knocked down eight three pointers in 14 attempts, marking the third time in the past four games that they�ve made at least seven three-pointers. Cassandra Heuer was four-for-five from three-point range and finished with 16 points.

Bears Update:

Washington brings a 20-game NCAA tournament winning streak into this year�s postseason with its last loss coming in the 1997 first round with a 61-53 loss to Millikin. Along the way, the Bears have beaten five WIAC opponents, toppling UW-Oshkosh in 1998, 1999 and 2000, and UW-Eau Claire in 2000 and 2001. During this year�s regular season, the Bears already defeated WIAC champion UW-Stout 101-47 on Nov. 27.

Senior Robin Lahargoue leads the team at 12.9 points per game, while junior Laura Crowley averages 11.9 points per game and has 71 three-pointers this year. Jennifer Rudis averages 10.0 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. The Bears compete in the University Athletic Association with seven other schools from seven different states and won their fifth straight title and ninth in 11 years. Washington is making its 13th straight NCAA tournament appearance.

Return Visit:

UW-Stevens Point has never played Washington University, but the Pointers did have some success against the Bears� current coach during her playing career. Washington coach Nancy Fahey played against the Pointers twice as a point guard at Wisconsin and totaled four points in a 57-52 Pointers� win as a freshman in 1977-78 and missed all four shots to finish scoreless in an 81-59 Badgers� victory during her sophomore season in 1978-79.

Similar Routs:

UW-Stevens Point and Washington have both enjoyed plenty of easy wins this season as the Pointers have posted 12 victories of 25 points or more and Washington has 13 wins by at least a 25-point margin. The Bears have had one game decided by less than seven points when they defeated Rochester (N.Y.) 62-60 on Feb. 3. Washington ranks second nationally in scoring margin at 25.3 points per game and UW-Stevens Point is fifth at 23.2 points per game. 

Game Notes:

     The Pointers� victory on Wednesday was their first NCAA tournament win since an 81-74 win over Concordia-Moorhead in the 1987 Division III championship game�The Pointers and Bears are two of five teams in this year�s 50-team field that have won national titles. Scranton (Pa.), Salem State (Mass.) and Hope (Mich.) are the others�The Pointers� only previous game against a school from Missouri was an 83-74 loss to Northeast Missouri State in 1993� Washington has won 70 straight home games with the last loss coming on Jan. 19, 1997 to New York University�The Bears average 78.1 points per game, which ranks eighth in Division III, while UW-Stevens Point ranks 13th at 77.0 points per game�Washington is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 46.5 and UW-Stevens Point is 10th at 45.7 percent.