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Postgame Press Conference
ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons used a stifling defensive effort to knock the Whitman College basketball team out of the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament with a 56–35 second-round win Saturday night at the Mabee Complex. The loss capped a breakthrough season for a young Blues squad that pushed its ceiling higher than anyone expected.
Whitman (21–8) was held to its lowest point total of the season, shooting 26.3 percent from the field and just 1-for-21 from three-point range, as the Cowgirls (24–5) built an 18–6 lead after the first quarter and took a 28–9 advantage into halftime. Hardin-Simmons shot 45.7 percent overall, including 7-for-18 from beyond the arc, and led by as many as 28 in the fourth quarter.
Even on an off shooting night, the Blues showed the resilience that defined their rise this year. A rotation built largely around underclassmen and many first-time NCAA performers steadied itself after the break, outscoring its first-half total with 14 points in the third quarter and playing the Cowgirls even, 12–12, in the fourth. With all of the roster eligible to return, Whitman’s trip to the second round has the feel of an early step for a group that grew up quickly on the national stage.
Jacqueline Berry paced Hardin-Simmons with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting, adding six rebounds, while Dylan Koele chipped in 11 points with three three-pointers. The Cowgirls posted a 21–13 edge in points off turnovers and got 13 points from their bench.
Emma Lena Baker recorded a double-double to lead Whitman, finishing with 10 points and 14 rebounds, including seven on the offensive glass, as the Blues (21-8) matched the Cowgirls 24–24 in points in the paint and held a 9–4 advantage in second-chance points. Briana Andrade added 10 points and six rebounds, and Whitman’s defensive effort held Hardin-Simmons to 56 points, keeping the game within reach despite the offensive struggles.
For a program integrating so many young pieces, a 22-win season, a trip to the NCAA second round and a chance to measure itself against a top-tier opponent on the road underscored how far and how fast this group has come. The Blues leave Abilene with a clearer sense of what it takes deep in March—and with a core that expects to be back.
#GoWhitman
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