For the second year in a row, the UW-Whitewater women's basketball team has advanced to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Final Four. UW-W, 26-4, defeated defending national champion DePauw 88-71 in a sectional final in Greencastle, Ind. to advance. This season marks the third time Coach Carollo has guided her team to the Final Four with a third place finish in 2008 and a runner-up finish last season. Click here to visit the UW-Whitewater Championship Website for information on the fan bus, tickets, and links to live stats, live video and live audio. 

Tickets are available for Friday's session in advance only. Ticket prices are $12 for adults and $10 for students (college and under) and can be purchased from the UW-Whitewater Ticket Office at 262-472-2222.

A fan bus will be available free of charge to all interested. Click here for more information. 

A pre-game social will be available for all interested Friday, March 21 from 5:00-6:30 pm at Partner's Pub and Grill in Stevens Point, Wis. Free appetizers and beer available for Warhawk fans while supplies last. If UW-W advances to the championship game, a pre-game social is set for 5:00-6:30 pm at Partner's Saturday. Click here for more information including location and map.

UW-Whitewater's journey through the NCAA tournament began with a 79-72 win over Concordia-Moorhead in the first round hosted by the University of St. Thomas. The win was the 230th career victory for head coach Keri Carollo making her the winningest coach in program history. Five Warhawks scored in double figures led by 16 off the hand of Mary Merg (Greendale/Greendale). UW-W knocked out the host Tommies in the second round 87-78 to advance to the Sweet 16. Kristen Ruchti (Brodhead/Brodhead), a midseason addition to the roster, led UW-W with 25 points on 12-15 from the floor and added seven rebounds. Merg added 22 points and seven boards in the contest. 

The Warhawks topped WIAC foe UW-Oshkosh 69-57 in Greencastle, Ind. in the next round of the NCAA Championship. Merg led all players with 23 points on 7-18 from the field, 3-5 from long range and 6-7 from the charity stripe. Ruchti posted 12 points and a team high eight rebounds. The sectional final brought a rematch of the national championship game last season where DePauw secured their unbeaten season with a 69-51 win. But that was last year…this season it was the Warhawks who came out on top with an 88-71 win to advance. Ruchti posted 24 points adding nine rebounds. Merg added 21 points hitting 10-11 from the free throw line adding nine boards and six assists to lead Whitewater.

In NCAA play this season, UW-W averages 80.8 points per game shooting nearly 42% from the floor and 83% from the charity stripe. Defensively, the Warhawks allow 69.5 points per game. Individually, Whitewater is led by Merg's 20.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the postseason. Ruchti adds 18.3 per game and grab 8.0 boards. Kaitlyn Thill (Belgium/Ozaukee) posts 11.3 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game in NCAA play this season. 

The Warhawks won the WIAC with a perfect 16-0 record. UW-W received an at-large bid into the NCAA DIII Tournament for the seventh consecutive season. Whitewater is 10-1 at home, 12-1 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites this season.

UW-Whitewater has never faced Whitman, FDU-Florham or Tufts in program history. The Warhawks are familiar with the facility designated for the Final Four. Although the games are scheduled to be played in Quandt Fieldhouse instead of Berg Gym, where the women usually play on the UW-SP campus, UW-W is just 4-10 when playing in Stevens Point, Wis. during the Carollo era. The Warhawks will have the shortest distance to travel, approximately 150 miles or 2.5 hours away from Whitewater.

The Warhawk men's basketball team has also advanced to the Final Four marking the seventh time in NCAA Division III history that a school has sent both their men's and women's squads to the Final Four. Centre was the first to accomplish the feat in 1989 with their women finishing third and their men fourth. In 2004, UW-Stevens Point was represented in both Final Fours with the men winning the national title and women fourth. Washington University-St. Louis accomplished the feat twice. In 2007 the Bears finished second on the women's side and third in the men's followed. The WashU men won the title in 2009 and the women finished as the national runner-up. Illinois Wesleyan's women's program won the national championship in 2012 with their men advancing to the Final Four but not to the title game. Lastly, Amherst's men won the title last season with their women fourth. 

Warhawk Snapshot (NCAA games only)
Record: 26-4 || WIAC Finish: 1st, 16-0 || Number of All-WIAC Honorees: 6
Points per game: 79.3 (80.8)
Rebounds per game: 40.2 (36.8)
Assists per game: 13.3 (12.0)
Steals per game: 10.5 (6.8)
Points off Turnovers per game: 22.2 (15.0)
2nd Chance Points per game: 13.0 (10.3)
Largest Deficit Overcome this Season: 20 vs. Elmhurst, won 85-71 (9 vs. Concordia-Moorhead, won 79-72)
Category Leaders
Points per game: Merg 13.7 (Merg 20.5)
Rebounds per game: Ruchti 6.4 (Ruchti 8.0)
Assists per game: Thill 3.9 (Merg 4.5)
Steals per game: Thill 3.9 (Thill 2.5)
Blocks per game: Ruchti 0.6 (Ruchti 1.3)

Graphic photo courtesy of the DePauw Sports Information Department