WBB Falls to #8 DeSales in NCAA First Round

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – The Mitchell College women's basketball team saw their second half comeback fall short on Friday evening, losing to eighth-ranked DeSales University 78-60 in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship at Billera Hall Gymnasium.  

The 60 points is the most that DeSales has allowed to any opponent all season, and they entered Friday allowing an average of just 39.6 points per contest to their opponents. 

Amina Wiley (New Rochelle, N.Y.) powered the Mariners offense, finishing with a 25 point, 14 rebound double-double, both team-best figures. Wiley, who shot 11-15 from the floor, also added four assists, while Dede Stevenson (Hartford, Conn.) added 12 points, Na'Jae White (Hartford, Conn.) chipped in nine, Sam McKenna (Millbrook, N.Y.) netted six, and Yasmine Santos (Pawtucket, R.I.) tallied five points to go along with seven rebounds. Jamya Beddoe (New London, Conn.) was the only other Mariner to finish in the scoring column, making one three-pointer and grabbing four boards.

Megan Bealer paced the Bulldogs, filling the stat sheet to the tune of 27 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Mikaela Reese (15 points, seven rebounds), Abigail Rafferty (14 points, nine rebounds), and Amelia Saunders (12 points, six assists, five rebounds) joined Bealer in double figures. 

It was all Bulldogs early in this first round matchup, as the home team scored 20 of the first 23 points to build a 22-11 lead after the opening quarter. The strong play by DeSales continued into the second frame, as they shot 10-19 across the ensuing 10 minutes to carry a 43-25 edge into halftime.

The script flipped coming out of the intermission, however, as a Wiley layup set in motion a run which would vault Mitchell right back into the mix. The Mariners outscored the Bulldogs 19-11 in the stanza, holding them to just 29.4% shooting, 16.7% from long range. Mitchell also outrebounded DeSales 13-5 during the quarter and entered the fourth trailing by just 10.

Bealer began the final quarter by sinking two free throws before Wiley nailed a jumper to trim the deficit back to 10. McKenna then made a free throw at the 8:58 mark to make it a nine-point game. The Bulldogs pulled back ahead on a three ball by Olivia Scotti, but Santos and Wiley followed with back to back layups to make the DeSales lead just nine with 7:31 remaining.

That is as close as the Mariners would get however, as the Bulldogs proceeded to peel off a 10-0 run which was finally snapped when Na'Jae White drained a three with just 3:28 left on the clock. By then the deficit was too much for the Mariners to overcome, as they also dealt with multiple key players fouling out down the stretch.  

The Mitchell women shot 49% from the floor and held the Bulldogs to just 4-20 from beyond the arc. The Mariners also outrebounded DeSales 37-32, but turned the ball over 31 times and received only three points form their bench.

Mitchell wraps up the season with an overall record of 18-10 under sixth-year head coach Courtney Burns. The Mariners also captured their second New England Collegiate Conference title in as many years, made their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, and finished with the most wins in the Division III era of the program.