INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Monday afternoon announced the 64-team field for its Division III Women’s Basketball Championship and No. 13 Gustavus (25-2) is selected to face No. 12 DePauw University (26-2) in the first round at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
DePauw earned an automatic bid as the playoff champion of the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Tigers defeated Wooster, Oberlin, and Denison in their league playoffs to advance to the national tournament.
The Gusties are in a four-team regional bracket that also includes host UW-Oshkosh and Calvin, who play 7 p.m. Friday. The winners of Friday’s games play each other at 7 p.m. Saturday. The bottom half of the eight-team pod includes host Washington-St. Louis, St. Norbert, Wheaton (Ill.), and Rose-Hulman.
Gustavus last made an appearance at the NCAA Championships in 2008 when it lost to Simpson 73-64 in the first round. This year’s national tourney berth is the sixth in program history for the Gusties, where they hold a 1-5 record. DePauw is making its 14th straight appearance (18th overall) at the NCAA Championships after claiming its fifth NCAC tourney title. DePauw won the national title in 2013 with a perfect 35-0 record. The Tigers are 31-15 in national tournament play.
Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $5 for student (3-18 years of age) or with valid college ID. Children age 2 and under are admitted for no charge. The ticket window at the Kolf Sports Center opens at 3 p.m. on Friday.