March Madness returns to Oshkosh

A guide to the Oshkosh regional at the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament

Jacob Link, Managing Editor

March 6, 2025

Courtesy of UWO Athletics — The UW Oshkosh women’s basketball team celebrates advancing to the Sweet 16 after taking down Trine University last year.

First Round matchup Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Kolf Sports Center:

Bethel University (22-5)

Snapshot of the Royals:

Bethel University (Minnesota), ranked No. 24 in the

nation by d3hoops.com, returns to the tournament for the seventh time in program history and the first time since 2020. The Royals qualified for March Madness as an at-large bid after falling to No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus College (Minnesota) in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship game. Bethel won its third MIAC regular season championship with a 17-1 league record after embarking on a 10-game winning streak midway through the season..

Bethel is averaging 67.6 points per game, the second-best mark in the MIAC, and holds opponents to 54.1 points per game. The Royals shoot 42.8% from the field and 33.6% from 3-point range, while holding opponents to 35.6% shooting from the floor and 25.7% from behind the arc. Bethel leads the MIAC in rebounding margin but turns the ball over the second most in the conference at 16.8 per game.

Bethel is a team that plays a tough and gritty style of basketball very similar to Oshkosh. If the Royals can continue to hold opponents to 35% shooting or under, they have a great shot to win the region because they shoot well from the field as a team. The big question will be about the turnovers, but if they are able to protect the basketball, Bethel could play UWO very evenly. But, if the Royals turn it over 16 times against anyone in the region, they may be poised for an early exit in the tournament.

Players to watch:

Elly Schmitz

6’-0’’ senior guard/forward out of Hermantown, Minnesota.
14.2 points per game (7th MIAC).
7.3 rebounds per game (7th MIAC).
49.2% shooting from the field (7th MIAC).
2.1 blocks per game (1st MIAC).

Anna Garfield

5’-9’’ senior forward out of Ham Lake, Minnesota.
12.1 points per game.
5.1 rebounds per game.
41.9% shooting from the field.
40% 3-point shooting (2nd MIAC).

DePauw University (20-6)

Snapshot of the Tigers:

DePauw University (Indiana) enters its 24th all-time appearance in the NCAA tournament, and the Tigers have won national championships in 2007 and 2013. DePauw finished second in the North Coast Athletic Conference with a 12-2 conference record but took down Wittenberg University (Ohio) 46-44 in the NCAC title game to win the league’s automatic bid. The Tigers are 35-21 in NCAA postseason history and Depauw will be looking to advance to at least the Sweet 16 after falling to Hope College (Michigan) in the Second Round of the tournament last year.

The Tigers average 68.8 points per game and are the second-best defensive team in the NCAC by holding opponents to 51.9 points per game. As a team, Depauw shoots 41.8% from the floor and 34.6% from 3-point range while holding opponents to 37.3% from the field and 29.4% from behind the arc. The Tigers hold the best rebounding margin in the NCAC and commit the least amount of turnovers in the league at 12.3 a game.

DePauw on paper looks like an average team, but they protect the basketball so well and are a great rebounding team, so they could be a dark horse in the Oshkosh regional. The Tigers should put up a tough fight against No. 24 Bethel University if they continue to score almost 70 points a game and hold opponents to less than 30% from behind the arc. DePauw needs to be careful to not get into a 3-point shootout with other teams since they shoot less than 35% from deep, but if they can control the game down low, there’s no reason the Tigers can’t upset UWO with the way they’ve been playing in the paint.

Players to watch:

Ava Hassel

5’-6’’ senior guard out of Portsmouth, Ohio.
12.4 points per game (8th NCAC).
38.3% shooting from the field.
34.1% 3-point shooting.
All-NCAC 1st Team

Olivia Hart

5’-11’’ sophomore forward out of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
10.3 points per game.
6.4 rebounds per game (6th NCAC)
45.9% shooting (11th NCAC).

First Round matchup Friday at 7 p.m. at the Kolf Sports Center:

UW Oshkosh (23-4)

Snapshot of the Titans:

The Titans enter their sixth straight NCAA tournament after receiving an at-large bid. Oshkosh opened the season with 17 straight wins on its way to the Titans’ second straight WIAC regular season title. Currently ranked No. 10 by D3hoops.com and No. 14 by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, they earned the top seed in the conference tournament and reached the league championship game with a 59-47 victory over UW-La Crosse, but fell to UW-Whitewater at home in the WIAC championship game 64-61.

UWO averages 65.2 points per game and holds opponents to 49.7 points per game, which was the lowest in the WIAC. The Titans shot the second-best mark out of anyone in the conference at 44.2% and held its opponents to 35.2% shooting as a team, the best in the WIAC as well.

This Oshkosh team is built on its defense. The Titans hold the best defensive rating out of anyone in the WIAC and hold opponents to the lowest field goal shooting, 3-point shooting and are second in turnover margin. UWO is also the second-best shooting team in the conference and leads the WIAC in 3-point shooting. If they can shoot like they have all season and hold Calvin University to under 50 points, they should advance to the Second Round.

Players to watch:

Sammi Beyer

5’-6’’ sophomore guard out of Appleton East.
10.3 points per game.
43.8% shooting from the field.
38.4 shooting from 3-point range (6th WIAC).

Kayce Vaile

6’-1’’ 5th year forward out of Greendale.
12.2 points per game (11th WIAC).
8.8 rebounds per game (2nd WIAC).
54.5% shooting from the field (2nd WIAC).
1.2 blocks per game (3rd WIAC).

Calvin University (18-10)

Snapshot of the Knights:

Calvin University (Michigan) is making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017 after winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament title over No. 11 Trine University (Indiana) 70-57 in the league’s tournament championship. Calvin finished third in the final MIAA regular season standings with an 11-5 conference record and the Knights have won six straight games heading into the national tournament. Calvin is making its first NCAA III Tournament appearance under sixth-year head coach Mark Christner, who owns a 98-48 record.

Calvin averages 62.4 points per game and has the second-best defense in the MIAA by holding opponents to 53.7 points per game. The Knights are third in field goal percentage in the conference at 37.2% and hold opponents to a league-low 33% shooting as a team. Calvin is second in the MIAA in rebounding margin and leads the conference in offensive rebounds with 15.6 per game, but are dead last in the league with a 63% team free throw percentage.

Calvin has shown that they have become one of the best teams in the nation after blowing past No. 11 Trine University by 13 points in the MIAA championship game, and the Knights are on a six-game winning streak. Just like Oshkosh, this squad is built on its defense and rebounding, and if they can hold the Titans to 33% shooting from the field, they have a shot to upset the hosts. If they can continue to rebound like they have on the offensive board and grab 15 offensive rebounds, they have a great shot to advance to the Second Round, especially because Oshkosh struggled in giving up offensive rebounds in the Titans’ WIAC championship loss to UW-Whitewater.

Players to watch:

Anna Fernandez

5’-8’’ junior guard out of Plymouth, Michigan.
14.4 points per game (6th MIAA).
5.8 rebounds per game.
40.2% shooting from the field (6th MIAA).
All-MIAA 1st Team

Katelyn LaRue

5’-10’’ sophomore guard out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
11.8 points per game.
42% shooting from the field.
37.2% shooting from 3-point range.
All-MIAA 2nd Team

Second Round matchup between winners of the two First Round games begins Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Kolf Sports Center. The winner of the Second Round contest advances to Sweet 16.