NCAA Tournament: Women's Basketball Regional Preview

3/2/2026 5:33:00 PM

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Granville, Ohio - The Denison women's basketball team is set to host the First and Second Rounds of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament this Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7. Denison welcomes to Granville Trine, Shenandoah, and Southern Virginia for the Granville Regional. Trine and Shenandoah will square off at 5:00pm this Friday, while Denison and Southern Virginia will be right after at 7:30. The second round matchup will take place Saturday at 7:30pm.

About the Big Red - Roster | Schedule | Stats

Denison enters the tournament 24-2 after finishing first in the NCAC with a 13-1 conference record. The Big Red fell out of the NCAC Tournament semifinals against eventual champion DePauw University 75-59, earning an at-large bid. This is Denison's first appearance since the 2015-16 season, and will be their eighth appearance all-time.

Denison is led by a duo of juniors, Ada Taute and Abby Cooch, who both average over 13 points per game. Sophomore Anelly Mad-Toingue leads the team in rebounds, averaging 9.9 per game while also putting up 7.6 points per game. Mad-Toingue has posted three double-doubles this season. Denison utilizes their entire roster, as nine players average over 10 minutes per game, and rank 19th nationally in bench points per game (28.6). Adelyn Moore (8.4), Brookie Toigo (6.8), and Violet Mitchell (6.7) are the other Big Red putting up over six a game.

The Big Red rank 12th nationally in points per game with 75.5, and 10th in offensive rebounds per game (18.0). As a team, Denison shoots 39.9% from the field and 28% from behind the arc. They force 20.96 turnovers per game, and have a 5.73 turnover margin. Denison went 3-1 against top-10 teams this season and 7-2 against tournament teams.

Southern Virginia - Roster | Schedule | Stats

Southern Virginia enters the tournament at 21-7 and finished second in the USA South with a 16-2 conference record. The Knights secured an automatic bid to the tournament after defeating Brevard College 82-74 in the USA South Conference Tournament Final. This is Southern Virginia's third consecutive appearance in the tournament.

Senior Abigail Snyder dominates for the Knights, ranking top-25 nationally and first in the USA South with 19.3 points per game while also grabbing 7.1 rebounds and shoots a 43.2/38.8/84.4 split. She has had seven games of 20+, and is currently on a 27-game streak of double-digit points. Fellow senior Maria Savvun is the other Knight averaging double figures with 12, and sophomore Anna Kimball leads the team in rebounding with 9.9 and 9.9 points per game, and has put up seven double-doubles.

The Knights have the ability to share the rock, as they rank 22nd nationally in assists per game (16.4). Their rebounding margin ranks 12th at 10.5, proving to be a force down low with 15.3 offensive rebounds per game. Savvun and Snyder can knock down threes, and will do so at a high clip. Snyder ranks 29th nationally in three-point percentage, while Savvun is top-100 (33.8). Southern Virginia went 0-3 against ranked teams, and 0-3 against tournament teams.

Shenandoah - Roster | Schedule | Stats

The Hornets enter the tournament 20-7 and finished fourth in the ODAC standings with an 11-5 conference record. Shenandoah lost to No. 4 Washington and Lee University in the ODAC semifinals 66-52, granting them an at-large bid into the tournament. Shenandoah enters the tournament for the second time in three seasons, and sixth all-time.

Addisyn Banks leads the Hornets, as is one of the most efficient players in the country. Banks averages 18.3 points per game, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. She shoots 41.2% from the field and 34.2% from deep. She has scored in double figures in all but two games. Following her up is Emily Williams, who scored 14 per game and leads the team in rebounds with 9.2. Her 59.6% field goal percentage ranks 7th nationally. Brynna Nesselrodt is the third Hornet to average double-digits with 11.6 per game and ranks top-50 in three point percentage (37.1%) and three-pointers with 62.

Trine can make you pay on the line, as they shoot 72.7% as a team, but can give it right back, as they rank 20th nationally in fouls per game at 12.9. The Hornets give up 55.4 points per game, proving to have an elite defense that compliments high-level scoring. Shenandoah went 3-2 against ranked opponents, while going 4-4 against tournament opponents.

Trine - Roster | Schedule | Stats

Trine enters the tournament 22-5 and earned a share of the MIAA regular season title at 22-5. The Thunder fell in the MIAA tournament final against No. 9 Hope College 76-62, and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. This marks Trine's fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, and ninth overall.

The Thunder are led by junior Ally Capouch and Madison Wagner, who both average over 10 points per game. Capouch, who averages 10.3 per game, has stepped into a big scoring role, and put up back-to-back 20 point games in the MIAA tournament. She's also no stranger behind the arc, as she ranked top-30 nationally in three pointers (65) and three pointers per game (2.5). Wagner sits right behind at 10.2 per game, and leads the Thunder at 40.6% from three. Deep play has propelled Trine, as 11 players average over 10 minutes per game. Annika Southworth (9.9), Hailey Cole (8.3), and Olivia Marks (6.6) have also put up productive numbers.

One of the best defenses in the nation in one of the deepest conferences in the country, the Thunder rank 24th in defensive field goal percentage (33.2%), and 17th in opponent points per game (51.1). Trine went 2-2 against ranked teams, and 3-4 against tournament opponents.

The 2026 Championship
The 64-team, single-elimination tournament consists of 43 automatic qualifiers and 21 at-large bids. The semifinals and championship will be on March 19 and 21.

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