Illinois Wesleyan women make NCAAs; men denied invite

Posted on February 27, 2017

Mia Smith’s Titans have made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. (Photo by WJBC)

By WJBC Staff

BLOOMINGTON – For the first time since winning the title in 2012, the Illinois Wesleyan women’s basketball team (18-9) will play in the NCAA Division III championships, playing No. 17-ranked Trine University (24-2) on Friday, at the regional hosted by Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.

The Titan men (17-8) were in contention for a Pool C or at-large bid but were denied as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin landed two teams in the NCAAs, CCIW Tournament champion North Central and regular season co-champion Augustana.

The other women’s semifinal game in the regional Friday will feature No. 5-ranked Ohio Northern (27-0) against Lakeland College (20-7).

Times and ticket information will be announced later. The two winning teams will play on Saturday.

Illinois Wesleyan is in the 64-team tournament as one of 21 at-large selections while Trine received an automatic bid by winning its first Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament title with a 49-42 victory over Calvin. It will be the Thunder’s first NCAA appearance in program history.

Meanwhile, the Titans are making their 10th overall NCAA Division III tournament appearance and first since 2012, when IWU won the national championship. Illinois Wesleyan has a 15-9 tourney record with the national title in 2012 and a fourth place finish in 2011. IWU made six consecutive appearances from 2007-12, advancing to the round of 16 in 2010 and the round of eight in 2009. Go here for all IWU tournament games.

The Ohio Northern Polar Bears are making their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past five seasons and won the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title with an 18-0 record. ONU completed the first undefeated regular season in school history and earned an automatic bid the the NCAA III Tournament after claiming the OAC Tournament title Saturday.

Lakeland received an automatic bid to the tournament after defeating Concordia (Wis.) in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament Championship 64-60.

The Muskies make their first appearance in the NCAA III Tournament in the last seven years, and are making their seventh appearance in the tournament in school history.

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