For the first time since 1999, three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association women's basketball teams advanced to postseason play with the announcement of the 64-team NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament Monday. Joining MIAA automatic qualifier Trine are at-large selections Calvin and Hope to mark the second time in MIAA history three teams made the NCAA Tournament field. It is the third time in five years more than one team from the MIAA is in the national tournament.
Trine (24-2) will face Illinois Wesleyan (18-9) in a neutral court First Round game Friday, March 3 at the ONU Sports Center in Ada, Ohio; game time to be announced. The winner of Trine-Illinois Wesleyan will face the winner of host Ohio Northern/Lakeland Saturday. The Thunder enter the NCAA Tournament with a 10-game winning streak after capturing both the MIAA regular season and MIAA tournament titles for the first time in program history.
Calvin (22-5) travels to Wisconsin to take on host UW-Oshkosh (24-2) Friday, March 3, with game time to be determined at Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh, Wis. The Calvin/UW-Oshkosh winner will take on the winner of DePauw and Gustavus Adolphus in the second round. The Knights make their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011.
Hope (22-4) as a neutral court contest in their First Round game against UW-Whitewater (21-5) Friday, March 3 at the Connor Convocation Center in Crewstview Hills, Ky. Host Thomas More takes on Eureka in the other First Round contest. Hope is in the national tournament for the fifth consecutive year; the 1990 and 2006 National Champions are making their 18th appearance in program history.
NCAA Sectional rounds are set for March 10-11, with the final four teams competing in Grand Rapids, Mich., at Calvin's Van Noord Arena March 17-18.
Tournament links
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball page
NCAA Division III Women's Basketball announcement
2017 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball interactive bracket
2017 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball bracket (pdf)
