Women's Basketball Ready For Inaugural Meeting With Gustavus Adolphus In NCAA First Round

MILWAUKEE (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College will make its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance when it travels to Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota for the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. The Warriors (21-7) will square off against the regional host and fifth-ranked Gusties (26-1) on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Lund Center. (RV) UW-Stevens Point (18-8) will face No. 12 Wartburg (25-2) in the other first round matchup at 5 p.m. The winners of the two first round games will meet in the second round on Saturday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the game are $15 for adults, $10 for students, seniors and children, and children two and under are free.

WLC enters its 13th NCAA Tournament on a 16-game winning streak after starting the season with a 5-7 record. Four of Wisconsin Lutheran's defeats have come against nationally-ranked opponents in No. 23 Trine, No. 8 UW-Oshkosh, No. 18 WashU, and No. 2 Wartburg. The Warriors defeated Edgewood (65-59), MSOE (54-45), and St. Norbert (57-54) to win their 13th NACC Tournament title and earn the conference's automatic berth into the 64-team field. WLC, which clinched its 13th 20-plus win season in program history, leads the NACC in scoring defense (52.6) and fewest turnovers per game (13.0). Wisconsin Lutheran also ranks second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (0.93), and third in field goal percentage defense (36.6), points (1,751), rebound margin (4.5), scoring margin (9.9), three-point percentage defense (26.3), three-pointers per game (6.4), and turnover margin (3.89). 

Nationally, the Warriors rank 16th in NCAA Division III in fewest turnovers per game and 33rd in scoring defense.

Sophomore Margie Stevens (Oneida, Wis.), a two-time First Team All-NACC selection, averages 15.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. She leads WLC in several statistical categories, including field goals (145), free throws (89), points (410), free throw percentage (84.8), and blocks (32). First Team All-NACC junior guard/forward Jayden Hill (Kenosha, Wis.) averages 7.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Senior Janiyah Goner (Milwaukee, Wis.), a Second Team All-NACC honoree, averages 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. 

Seven-time NACC Coach of the Year Klay Knueppel is in his 21st season as head coach at Wisconsin Lutheran. He enters Friday's contest with an overall collegiate coaching record of 419-144. Knueppel, the third head coach in program history, spent 12 seasons (1992-2004) as an assistant with the Warriors before being named head coach in 2004. He has guided WLC to 13 conference championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. Knueppel, who recorded his 400th career win on November 22 over No. 17 Transylvania, entered the season 19th among winningest active coaches in Division III with a .744 winning percentage.

Wisconsin Lutheran is making its 13th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and is 3-12 all-time on the national stage. The Warriors won their first NCAA Tournament game in 2011, a 73-59 triumph over (RV) UW-La Crosse in the first round in Bloomington, Illinois. WLC posted its biggest NCAA Tournament win in 2015 with a 70-67 overtime upset win at No. 10 Wheaton. Wisconsin Lutheran also knocked off No. 17 Illinois Wesleyan 48-40 in a first round game on March 1, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Friday's NCAA Tournament First Round matchup marks the first-ever meeting between the Warriors and Gusties, WLC last squared off against a MIAC opponent on March 2, 2019 when it fell to now former member St. Thomas, 67-51, in a NCAA Tournament Second Round game in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Gusties (26-1), ranked fifth in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25, collected their fourth consecutive MIAC Playoff Championship following a 66-53 victory over No. 24 Bethel to earn the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) automatic bid to the national tournament. GAC, which is making its 11th NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth straight overall, is 4-10 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. Gustavus Adolphus ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense (47.4), 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.21), 12th in scoring margin (20.1), and 13th in free throw percentage (76.4). Emma Kniefel averages 15.1 points per game and shoots 52.2 percent from the floor. Syd Hauger averages 9.3 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting. Izzy Quick averages 6.5 rebounds per game, and Kylie Baranick adds 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Laurie Kelly, who owns a 252-84 record in her 13th season as head coach of the Gusties, was recently named MIAC Coach of the Year for the first time.