Amherst, Wash U meet again

For the third consecutive year, Washington U. and Amherst will play each other at the Final Four. This time it will be for a national championship.

Amherst bottled up Christopher Newport’s All-Star guard Chelsie Schweers and rode a balanced attack to victory, 69-59. Christopher Newport took a quick 11 to two lead in the game’s first seven minutes. But Lem Atanga McCormick came off the Amherst bench to provide a spark and Caroline Stedman scored 14 first half points to stake the Lord Jeffs to a 31-26 lead. Christopher Newport got within four points at 45-41 until another Amherst run pushed the lead to double digits. Kristyn Dunleavy scored 10 points for the Lord Jeffs in the second half and Sarah Leyman tallied 14 points and nine rebounds.

Schweers, who averaged 33 points per NCAA tournament game coming into the weekend, was held to 19 by quick double teams and the stellar defense of Amherst guard Kim Fiorentino. Schweers did break the NCAA tournament record for three pointers with her 23^rd of the playoffs.

In the second semifinal, Washington U. overcame an energetic home crowd and a barrage of Illinois Wesleyan three pointers to eliminate the Titans 87-77. Playing in their own gym, Illinois Wesleyan hit 15 three pointers setting a new Division III women's tournament record. The Titans built a seven point advantage twice in the first half but Washington U. fought back and took a 45-42 halftime lead. Nikki Preston hit a three to tie the game at 47 early in the second half but Kathryn Berger answered with two three pointers of her own as part of a 20 to nine Bears' run. The Titans narrowed the deficit to three with five minutes to play. Berger and the Hoover sisters, Alex and Dani, keyed another Washington U. run to put the game away.

Berger led all scorers with 28 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Point guard Dani Hoover dished out four assists and grabbed seven rebounds while her sister Alex scored 12 points. Preston, Olivia Lett and Hope Schulte scored 20 points each for the Titans. The Bears have beaten five Top 10 ranked opponents and done so on the road or a neutral court to reach the national championship game.

It will be Amherst’s first appearance in the title game and the ninth for Washington U. The Bears defeated the Lord Jeffs in the national semifinals in 2009 and 2010.