#HLWBB Semifinal Preview

March 08

By David Song
Sports Capital Journalism Program, IUPUI

For seven of the previous 10 seasons, the top four-seeded teams reached the Horizon League Women’s Basketball Championship semifinals. But on Monday afternoon, for the fourth time in five tournaments, there will be a party crasher. No. 6 seed Cleveland State, which eliminated defending champion Wright State by upsetting the third-seeded Raiders on Thursday night, will join first-time regular-season champion IUPUI, No. 2 seed Green Bay and No. 4 seed Northern Kentucky at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

No. 1 IUPUI (21-8)
The Jaguars will meet Cleveland State at noon ET on Monday. As the top-seeded team in the Horizon League this year, IUPUI earned one of two double-byes to the semifinal round, circumventing the first round and quarterfinals that lower-seeded teams competed in last week. Finishing the regular season with a 15-3 record in conference play, the Jaguars lead the league in offense (72.4 points), defense (57.2 points allowed) and scoring margin (15.14).

Junior center Macee Williams, who won her second straight Player of the Year award, Leads the league in scoring (17.8 points, 61% from the field) and is second in rebounding (8.9). Senior guard Holly Hoopingarner, an All-League Second Team selection, led the conference in assists (3.83 per game). Fellow starters Rachel McLimore (11.0 points, 43.5% from the field) and Katelyn O’Reilly (6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds) are backed by a deep bench unit, making IUPUI appear to be the Horizon League’s most formidable team.

No. 2 Green Bay (18-12)
The Phoenix will oppose Northern Kentucky at 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Green Bay (13-5 HL) also earned a double-bye that delivered them straight to the semifinals. They own the Horizon League’s third-ranked offense (68.2 points) and defense (60.7 points allowed), as well as a conference-best assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.35.

The Phoenix receive many of their offensive contributions from veteran players. They were led in scoring by senior guard Frankie Wurtz, who averages 15.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Junior guard Meghan Pingel, is fourth in the league with 80 assists (3.6 APG), and first in assist-turnover ratio (2.0). Two more upperclassmen, senior forward Madison Wolf and junior guard Caitlyn Hibner, are the leading rebounders, each averaging 6.9.

No. 4 Northern Kentucky (20-11)
The Norse will face Green Bay in the second semifinal on Monday. Northern Kentucky lit up the first round with a 94-47 elimination of the ninth-seeded Detroit Titans. In their quarterfinal game, the fifth-seeded Milwaukee Panthers kept things close in the first half, but the Norse ultimately pulled away in a 78-58 victory that established their meeting with Green Bay. NKU is fifth in offense (66.4 points), but second in defense (60.2 PPG allowed), which led the Norse to build a 12-6 League record.

All-Horizon League Second Team point guard Ally Niece (12.9 points, 41.8% from the field) had a career game against the Panthers with 27 points and seven assists on 66.7% shooting. Meanwhile, redshirt senior Molly Glick is NKU’s second-leading scorer (11.7 points, 39.1% from the field). Don’t overlook freshman Ivy Turner (8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds), who notched a career-high 21 points, plus six rebounds and three steals against Milwaukee.

No. 6 Cleveland State (21-10)
The Vikings will meet IUPUI in Monday's first game. Cleveland State had a 9-9 League season and currently holds a 21-10 overall record. They overwhelmed seventh-seeded Youngstown State, 84-48, in their first-round matchup, but faced a much stiffer test from the third-seeded Wright State Raiders. Thanks to a 29-point performance from junior guard Mariah White, the Vikings prevailed 63-52 to advance to the semifinals.

White, the Defensive Player of the Year, averages 15.6 points and a stellar 3.1 steals per game. She combines with senior guard Mariah Miller (17.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG) to form what is possibly the Horizon League’s most dangerous backcourt tandem.

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