HOLLAND, Mich. - The No. 17/22 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team faced No. 24/RV nationally ranked Wartburg (Iowa) College in the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament First Round on the DeVette-VanWieren Court inside of the DeVos Fieldhouse. The Yellow Jackets dropped the first round matchup by a 57-43 final score.
This was the Yellow Jackets' fourth straight appearance in the National Tournament, and the 17th overall appearance. This was also just the second time BW have met Wartburg to compete, as the Yellow Jackets previously fell to the Knights in the 2019-20 season.
BW (22-6) was led by junior forward Kira Philpot (Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls) as she tallied a team-high 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Sophomore All-OAC guard Emily Irwin (Pickerington/Pataskala Watkins Memorial) added nine points while graduate All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky) totaled six points and grabbed six boards.
Wartburg (22-6) was led by junior guard Britney Young as she tallied a game-high 15 points. Two other Knights notched double-digits as well.
FIRST HALF
- BW's first six points came from free throws before a three from junior guard Carolyn Wochele (Mentor) notched the first field goal for the Yellow Jackets
- At the end of the first quarter, the Knights led the Yellow Jackets by a 17-13 score after shooting 40% from the field as a team to BW's 27.3%
- BW went on an 8-0 run sparked by a three from Philpot. A couple free throws from Irwin and a three from Hensel earned BW its first lead of the contest at 21-18 with 6:06 left in the half
- Wartburg ended the first 20 minutes of play on a 5-0 run and went into halftime leading 23-21
SECOND HALF
- The Yellow Jackets kicked off the scoring in the second half with a shot from beyond the arc from sophomore forward Bella Vaillant (Perrysburg) to regain the lead
- The Knights responded going on a 14-0 run, holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless for 6:25 in the third quarter
- Wartburg went into the fourth quarter leading 44-29, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 21-8 in the third and shooting 57.1% as a team from the field to BW's 27.3%
- The Knights continued the pressure, getting the first two scores of the fourth quarter
- An 8-0 run for the Yellow Jackets forced Wartburg to a timeout with 5:47 left in the game, but the Knights held a 48-37 advantage
- Out of the break, Wartburg tallied seven straight points to extend the lead to 55-39 with less than four minutes to go
- A layup by the Knights with 1:25 to go pushed Wartburg in front by a 57-42, clinching the win for the Knights as they went on to claim the 57-43 victory
Wartburg will advance to the second round and take on the winner of Hope (Mich.) College and St. Norbert (Iowa) College on Saturday, March 4 at 7:30 inside the DeVos Fieldhouse.
BW concludes the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 22-6. The BW Athletic Department would like to congratulate Hensel, senior Academic All-OAC guard Izzy Andrews (Ann Arbor, Mich./Rudolf Steiner), and senior guard Regan Schill (Sheffield Village/Elyria Catholic) on completing their illustrious careers at BW.
The BW Athletic Department would also like to congratulate the women's basketball team as well as the coaching and support staff on an amazing 2022-23 season, as well as thanking the fans and parents for their support all year.
