The NCAA Division 3 men’s and women’s basketball pairings were unveiled today.
On the men’s side, WIAC Tournament Champion UW-Platteville (18-10) earned the league’s automatic bid, making their 12th NCAA appearance. The Pioneers will meet Capital University (Ohio) (20-7) in Rock Island, Illinois. The Pioneers have won four National Championships in 1991, 1995, 1998 and 1999.
WIAC teams UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse both received at-large bids. Oshkosh (23-3) is the defending national runner-up but missed a chance to host when the Titans were upset in the WIAC Tournament by UW-Stevens Point. The Titans will meet Midwest Conference champion Lake Forest College (Ill.) (18-9) in a first round game in Collegeville, Minnesota. The Titans are making their program-record fourth consecutive NCAA appearance and ninth overall.
UW-La Crosse (17-9) will make its second NCAA appearance will face the University of St. Thomas (Minn.) (22-4) in a first round contest in Lincoln, Nebraska. The other match-up will feature defending national champion Nebraska Wesleyan University (26-1) and Eureka College (Ill.) (13-14).
In the women’s field, WIAC Champion UW-Oshkosh received an automatic berth into the 64-team field. The Titans (24-3) will make their fifth NCAA appearance in the last six seasons and 15th overall. The Titans, won the National Title in 1996 and will host first and second round games. Oshkosh will meet Pomona-Pitzer College of California (22-5) in its opening game.
UW-Whitewater (18-9) will travel to Washington, University-St. Louis (Mo.) (19-6) for a first round game. The Warhawks own 18 NCAA appearances, including four straight.
The Ripon College women won the Midwest Conference Tournament and earned an automatic bid. But the Red Hawks will open Friday in St. Paul, Minnesota to play third-ranked St. Thomas of Minnesota.
Ripon (19-8) is making the program’s fifth trip to the NCAA Tournament, and first under sixth-year head coach Lauren Busalacchi. The Red Hawks are riding a season-long nine-game winning streak and have won 16 of their last 17 games overall.
Wisconsin Lutheran College (26-1) will open up against 17th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan in St. Paul, Minnesota. Wisconsin Lutheran returns to its second straight NCAA Tournament and eighth in the last nine years after defeating third-seeded Concordia Wisconsin 67-47 Saturday night to secure the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference’s (NACC) automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.