SAINT PETER, Minn. – No. 5 Gustavus women's basketball opens the NCAA Division III Tournament against Wisconsin Lutheran at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 7, at Gus Young Court. The Gusties, who earned the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) automatic bid to the tournament via the MIAC playoff title last Saturday, are hosting an NCAA regional for the first time in program history. 

The Gusties (26-1, 17-1 MIAC) collected their fourth consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship in a 66-53 victory over No. 24 Bethel on the road last weekend. Wisconsin Lutheran (21-7, 15-1 NACC), meanwhile, reached the national tournament via the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) automatic bid, defeating St. Norbert, 57-54. The other first round match-up features Wartburg (Iowa) and UW-Stevens Point at 5 p.m. Friday's winners play at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in Saint Peter for the chance to advance to the Sweet 16.

FREE ADMISSION FOR FIRST 100 STUDENTS

The Gustavus Athletic Department, in partnership with SAAC, will cover the cost of the first 100 Gustie students on Friday (March 7) and Saturday (March 8), should the team advance. Campus dorms will also open early on Friday outside of spring break regulations. 

TICKET AND CAMPUS INFORMATION

All three NCAA games over the weekend will be played at Gus Young Court. Tickets will be cash-only and sold at the main entryway doors in the Lund Center. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, seniors, and children, and free for children under the age of two. Fans are encouraged to park in the "A" and "G" lots on campus as indicated on the campus map, with men's hockey also hosting the MIAC Playoff Championship on Saturday. Lot "B" will be reserved for tournament staff, handicapped parking, and team buses. No dogs or alcoholic beverages are permitted inside the facility. More campus information can be found on the Gustavus regional homepage.

GUSTIES IN THE NCAA POSTSEASON

Friday's game will mark the 11th appearance in the national tournament for the Gustavus women's basketball team, dating back to the 1991 season. The NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament debuted in 1982 with a 16-team bracket. It was expanded to a 32-team bracket the following year, a 40-team bracket in 1994, and finally a 64-team tournament in 1995. The regional pod format was established in 2006, with the first two rounds of the tournament hosted in four-team regionals at one site. 

The Gusties are 4-10 in NCAA competition, advancing to the second round three times and the sectional semifinals (Sweet 16) once. The Gusties have made the tournament in each of the last three years, going 1-3 in that span. Gustavus has hosted just one NCAA women's basketball game in Saint Peter, a 67-59 win over Loras (Iowa) in the first round of the 2003 championship. The 2002-03 Gusties fell to Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) in the second round. Last season, the Gusties fell in double overtime to Trine (Ind.) in the first round, played on the campus of UW-Oshkosh. The 2017-18 team advanced the farthest, winning its first round game against Rose-Hulman (Ind.) before upsetting UW-Whitewater on their home court to advance to the Sweet 16, falling 75-67 to Thomas More (Ky.). 

SERIES HISTORY

Friday's game will be the first on the court between Gustavus and Wisconsin Lutheran. 

SCOUTING THE GUSTIES

The Gusties finished their best regular season in program history with a 24-1 record, their fourth consecutive 20-win season. No team in Gustavus women's basketball history has entered the postseason with just one loss. The Gusties were 25-2 at the end of the regular season in each of the last two years. 

As a team, the Gusties average 67.6 points per game, holding opponents to just 47.4 points. The Gusties are shooting 43.5 percent as a team from the floor, 32.3 percent from three-point land, and 76.4 percent from the free throw line. Gustavus has shot above 50 percent in four games this season and held opponents to a mark of below 30 percent seven times. 

Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.) has led the Gustavus offense all season, averaging 15.1 points per game and shooting 52.2 percent, starting in all 27 of the Gusties' games. Kniefel is the only Gustie averaging double digit scoring. She ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.3 rpg), assists (2.7 apg), and steals (1.5 spg). Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.) is next in scoring, averaging 9.3 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting. 

Izzy Quick (5th, Maple Grove, Minn.) has led the team's rebounding efforts all season, hauling in 6.5 boards per game, including 2.9 on the offensive end of the court. Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.) has dished out a team-leading 84 assists for an average of 3.1 per game. Baranick leads the Gusties with a 3.0 assist/turnover ratio and steals, grabbing an average of 1.7 per game with 46 total this season.

HIGH FIVE

Gustavus dropped one spot to No. 7 in the final NCAA National Power Index (NPI) for Division III women's basketball, but finished as the highest ranked team in Region IX. The Gusties were ranked No. 5 in the latest D3hoops.com top 25 released on March 3, with five teams from the region also featured: UW-Oshkosh (No. 11), Wartburg (No. 12), UW-Whitewater (No. 16), UW-Stout (No. 22), and Bethel (No. 23). The No. 5 ranking is the second highest in program history, as the 2023-24 team earned a No. 4 ranking at the end of last year's regular season. 

MIAC ACCOLADES

Gustavus women's basketball head coach Laurie Kelly (13th season) was named the MIAC Coach of the Year and four Gusties earned All-MIAC honors when the 2024-25 MIAC Women's Basketball Awards were announced on Wednesday, March 5.

In addition to Kelly's award, Kylie Baranick (Sr., Maple Grove, Minn.), Syd Hauger (5th, Springfield, Minn.), Rachel Kawiecki (Sr., Richfield, Minn.), and Emma Kniefel (5th, Medford, Minn.) were all awarded All-Conference honors. Baranick, Kawiecki, and Kniefel were also selected to the All-Playoff Team. 

Kelly's Coach of the Year award was her first, and just the third for Gustavus since 1992. Kniefel became the 20th player in conference history to earn four consecutive All-MIAC awards, while Kawiecki and Baranick earned their third, and Hauger her second. Kniefel was also the first player in the history of the MIAC to collect three All-Playoff honors. 

NATIONAL NOTABLES

Through action on March 2, the Gusties are fourth among 418 NCAA Division III programs in winning percentage (.963), fifth in scoring defense (47.4 ppg), 11th in assist/turnover ratio (+1.21), 12th in scoring margin (+20.1 ppg), 13th in free throw percentage (.764), and 21st in both turnover margin (+7.0 turnovers forced) and fewest turnovers per game (13.1).

Individually, Kniefel ranks 32nd in field goal percentage, shooting 52.2 percent this season. Baranick one of the nation's assist/turnover ratio leaders, with a mark of 3.00 which ranks third in the country. Baranick's three-point percentage of 43.0 (46-for-107) would rank 14th in the country if she met the qualifying standard of 2.0 threes made per game – she currently averages 1.7. Kniefel's 41.4 percent from beyond the arc would also rank in the top-20.

TOURNEY TIME

The graduating women's basketball class has played in four NCAA tournament games since the 2021-22 season. In that span, the Gusties have advanced to the second round once (2022-23), and have averaged 68.0 points per game compared to opponents 67.5. Of the 272 points scored in their NCAA appearances, 80.2 percent of those points have been scored by the likes of Kniefel, Baranick, Quick, Hauger, Kawiecki, and Morgan Kelly (Sr., Saint Peter, Minn.). The top six has scored 218 total points (of 272 total) in NCAA competition, with Kniefel (16.0 ppg), Baranick (12.25 ppg), and Kelly (10.0) averaging in double figures. Quick has averaged 6.0 rebounds in national tournament games, followed by 5.5 per game for Kawiecki and Kelly. Baranick has posted 3.50 assists through the postseason, while Kawiecki has led in blocks (1.0 bpg), and Kniefel in steals (1.5 spg). Quick and Kawiecki have both shot 50 percent or better, led by Quick's 62.5 percent from the field and Kawiecki's even 50. 

CLIMBING THE RANKS

Kniefel claimed the program's record for most games played in a Gustie uniform on Feb. 15, playing in her 114th against Saint Benedict, while her 21 points against Carleton on Feb. 19 moved her into sole possession of seventh on the Gustavus scoring list, passing now Assistant Coach Angie Peterson Potts '04 HOF '19 at 1,380. Following her playoff performance, she is now tied with Linn Erickson Ahrendt '87 HOF '02 for sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,399 points. Ahead of Kniefel and Erickson Ahrendt is Molly Geske '12 with 1,410 and Miranda Rice '18 with 1,416. Kniefel has averaged 15.1 points per game this season, but is averaging 20.3 in her last six games, an uptick that started with a 21-point performance against Bethel on Feb. 8. 

Hauger (974), Baranick (954), and Kawiecki (953) all rank in the top-20 of Gustie scorers as well, with Hauger at No. 15 and Baranick and Kawiecki 17th and 18th, respectively. Kelly ranks 30th with 816 career points. Baranick's 355 assists in her career currently have her fifth in the Gustavus program record books, 17 assists out of fourth (Janella Bahn '90). Kniefel ranks eighth in career assists with 287, while Kawiecki is 23rd (179).

The trio of Baranick, Kniefel, and Hauger also rank in the top-15 of three-point shooters in the record books, with Baranick's 131 made from beyond the arc currently eighth overall. She needs two more to pass Melissa Young '92 for sole possession of seventh, and eight more to reach the top five. Kniefel is 10th (103 made), and Hauger 13th (78). Kniefel is three steals away from climbing into the top-10 with 187 in her career. 

IN THE RECORD BOOK

The 2024-25 Gusties are featured in the women's basketball record book on 18 different occasions. The team's current (March 6) 26-1 record is the best in program history to date, with a .963 winning percentage. The 26 wins also ties the program record for most single season wins, set in 2022-23 (26-3). Three times this season the Gusties have shot perfect from the free throw line (at St. Catherine, at Saint Mary's, vs. Saint Mary's), marking the first time in program history that a team has posted more than two games with a perfect percentage from the charity stripe. 

Individually, Kniefel's six made three-pointers at UW-Eau Claire on Nov. 10 this season are the third most by a player in a single game in program history. Ella Peters (So., River Falls, Wis.) is a perfect 21-for-21 from the free throw line this season. If she maintains her mark, she'll be the first Gustavus player in program history to post a perfect percentage with a minimum of 20 attempts. Kniefel's 164 field goals made this season currently sit ninth in single season program history, one away from eighth and 10 away from seventh. 

FOUR REAL

Gustavus became just the third institution to claim four consecutive MIAC Playoff Championships, a feat that has been accomplished only by St. Thomas and Carleton, with a 66-53 win over No. 24 Bethel last Saturday, March 1. 

The Gusties took the lead over Bethel 7-6 at 5:45 in the first quarter and never trailed for the rest of the game, enforcing a dominant defense on the Royals, hauling in 28 rebounds to BU's 17 and forcing 21 Royal turnovers on their home court. Kniefel's free throws to give Gustavus the lead in the first quarter sparked an 11-4 run for the visitors, who used a balanced offense with points from five different players to end the first quarter up 17-10. 

Gustavus took its first double digit lead of the game in the second quarter, 27-17, once more on free throws for Kniefel, who drew four fouls in the game. Bethel responded with a 7-0 run to cut it back down to just four points, but seven points out of the hands of Kniefel and five from Kawiecki put the Gusties up 35-21 heading into halftime. 

Shots started to fall for Bethel after the break, as the home team hit 3-of-4 from three-point land, going 5-for-9 from the field to narrowly out-score Gustavus 18-17. The difference was made in turnovers, as the Gusties forced seven on the Royals, four of which resulted in a steal, to hold a 52-39 lead just 10 minutes away from the title. 

The Gusties were in the bonus for the entirety of the third and fourth quarters, scoring 15 of their 31 second half points on free throws. Hauger turned up the heat in the second half, scoring 10 on 3-for-4 shooting and collecting a trio of steals to help the Gusties fend off a late Bethel run. The Royals cut the deficit to single digits once more off back-to-back three-pointers, but the Gustie defense, as it has all season, held strong for the 66-53 victory. 

The Gusties scored 23 from the charity stripe to Bethel's 12 and added 25 points off 21 turnovers. Bethel went just 12-for-20 from the line, and scored only seven points off 13 Gustavus turnovers. The Gusties shot 48.8 percent (21-for-43) from the floor, posting a mark of 50 percent or better in three of four quarters. Gustavus controlled the glass, out-rebounding the Royals 28-17, including a mark of 10-5 on the offensive end of the court. 

Three different Gusties scored in the double digits, led by Kniefel's 19 on 6-for-11 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line. Both Hauger and Kawiecki posted 10, with Kawiecki completing her first double-double of the season with 10 boards, four offensive and six defensive. 

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS

Wisconsin Lutheran finished the regular season 21-7 overall and 15-1 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), dropping four of its losses to nationally-ranked opponents. The Warriors fell to then-No. 23 Trine (Ind.), No. 8 UW-Oshkosh, No. 18 Wash U (Mo.), and No. 2 Wartburg. The Warriors average 62.5 points per game compared to opponents' 52.6 (+9.9 margin). WLC has shot 37.9 percent this season, 27.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 68.0 percent from the charity stripe. The Warriors are averaging 38.5 rebounds, 12.1 assists, and 13.0 turnovers per game. 

The Warriors' highest national statistical ranking is in fewest turnovers conceded per game, ranking 16th among all NCAA DIII women's basketball programs. The team finished first in its conference in scoring defense (52.6 ppg), and second in assist/turnover ratio (+0.93), fewest fouls per game (14.7), and winning percentage (.970). 

Individually, sophomore forward Margie Stevens is far and away the team's leading scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game as the only Warrior in double figures. She's shooting 39.1 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from three-point range, and 84.8 percent from the line (35th/NCAA). Junior Jayden Hill averages 7.6 rebounds per game to lead her squad, including 5.1 on the defensive end of the court, followed by 6.3 rebounds per game for both Stevens and Abby Cole. Janiyah Goner (2.4 apg) and Hill (2.3 apg) lead the team in assists, while Stevens averages 1.2 blocks per game to lead the Warriors. Hill's 2.3 steals per game is also a team-leading statistic. 

Wisconsin Lutheran finished 69th in the NCAA's final National Power Index (NPI) and has won its last 16 games. The Warriors are 9-3 on the road this season, with two wins over teams competing in the national tournament – No. 17 Transylvania (Ky.) and Ripon College (Wis.). 

THEIR LAST ACTION

WLC defeated St. Norbert 57-54 on the road to claim the NACC Playoff Championship and a trip to the national tournament for the 13th time in program history. The Warriors went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 26 seconds of play to upset the top-seeded Green Knights. Stevens scored 23, eight of which came from a perfect performance at the line, while Kara Troxel added 18, shooting 4-for-7 from three-point land. Hill logged 11 rebounds for the Warriors, while Stevens posted four blocks. 

Wisconsin Lutheran out-scored St. Norbert in the middle two quarters, and held on for the victory despite a 19-point fourth from SNC,  which conceded 14 points off 13 turnovers to the Warriors. St. Norbert cut the lead to one point four times in the final ten minutes, but couldn't get past Stevens and the Warriors, who earned their 14th playoff championship and 12th as a part of the NACC.

THE FIELD

Wartburg (25-2, 16-0 A-R-C), seeded second in the regional, defeated Coe (Iowa) 61-55 in the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) playoff championship game to earn its conference's automatic bid to the tourney. Wartburg ended the 2024-25 regular season No. 17 in the NCAA's final National Power Index (NPI), and moved up to No. 12 in the most recent D3hoops.com national polling. 

The Knights average 70.7 points per game and allow 53.6 for a margin of 17.1 against opponents. Wartburg is shooting 42.4 percent from the field, 29.7 percent from three-point range, and 74.9 percent from the line. The Knights average 40.1 rebounds per game compared to 31.7 for opponents, and 16.6 assists to 15.0 turnovers. In NCAA DIII this season, Wartburg ranks fourth in fewest fouls per game (10.8), 12th in winning percentage (.926), 23rd in assist/turnover ratio (+1.13), and 25th in assists per game (16.7).

Wartburg's Lauren Woeste is the national leader in field goal percentage, shooting 65.0 percent from the floor while averaging 14.9 point points per game. Jaedon Murphy leads the team with 15.9 points per game, followed by Sara Faber's 15.0 and Woeste's 14.9. Woeste and Murphy lead the team's rebounding efforts, averaging 7.8 and 7.2 boards per game, respectively. Faber owns the top mark in both assists (3.9 apg) and steals (3.0 spg), as well. 

UW-Stevens Point (18-8, 8-6 WIAC) received one of 21 at-large bids after falling to UW-La Crosse in the first round of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament, 71-67. The Pointers are one of five teams from the WIAC to advance to the tournament, joining playoff champions No. 16 UW-Whitewater, as No. 11 UW-Oshkosh, No. 22 UW-Stout, and UW-La Crosse. 

The Pointers average 66.5 points per game and allow 56.4 for a margin of 10.1 against opponents. UWSP is shooting 40.5 percent from the field, 27.9 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.6 percent from the line. The Pointers average 39.6 rebounds to 31.3 for opponents, and 11.8 assists to 13.7 turnovers. 

Stevens Point's Alexa Thomson is the team's leading scorer, averaging 17.2 points per game while shooting 48.1 percent. Gabby Gawlitta averages 10.4 per game, while three other Pointers are above the 5.0 mark in points per game. Thomson and Gawlitta are one-two in rebounding as well, with Thomson corralling 8.7 boards per game and Gawlitta 7.3. Courtney Krueger has dished out a team-leading 2.6 assists per game, while Maija Rice has collected 55 steals for an average of 2.1 per contest. UWSP finished at No. 43 in the NCAA's final National Power Index (NPI).