Catawba College and Minnesota Duluth Women’s basketball team are set to face each other in the final-four game of the national championship in a few hours at Saint Joseph Civic Center in Saint Joseph, Missouri
Game Viewing
- Venue: Saint Joseph Civic Center in Saint Joseph, Missouri
- Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2023
- Start Time: 7:00 pm ET
- TV: CBS Sports Network
- Streams: Click Here
Talking about the Catawba College Women’s Basketball team (29-5) first, they progressed to their first-ever final four games after beating third-seeded Cal St.-Dominguez Hills by 77-70. They became the first South Atlantic Conference team to win the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Elite Eight game.
Catawba is averaging 11 steals and 16.1 turnovers per game. In the semifinal, they forced 23 turnovers in the Elite eight-game, where Lyrik Thorne led the team in this historical history by scoring 21 of her 27 points in the second half.
UMD vs Catawba Women’s Basketball Live Online
The Catawba vs Minnesota Duluth Women’s Basketball will be available to watch on CBS. If you are looking for a streaming way to watch the 2023 Division II Women’s Basketball Semifinal live online from the US, Canada, UK, or anywhere around the world check out OolaTV
Catawba vs Minnesota Duluth Game Preview
Regarding the squad, the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-Region selection, and Southeast Regional Most Outstanding Player, Lyrik Thorne, is averaging 19.6 points per game and has scored in double figures in all of his side’s 34 games this season.
In the process, she has set the school record for most points and three-pointers in a season and is only one 20-point game away from equalling the record for most 20-point games in a season.
Sara Mclntosh and Janiya Downs are the top performers for Catawba this season, averaging 11.4 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. Janiya has helped the side on big occasions in the tournament averaging 16.3 points per game in the Southeast Regional tournament with scoring a minimum of 14 points in each game
McIntosh has also played a critical role this season, posting 10 points and five rebounds in the quarterfinal and scoring 20 points in the semi-final win against Clayton State. Sixth-seeded Catawba Indians will now face No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth in the final-four game and look to make history by booking their spot in the national title game.
On the other hand, UMD (31-3), like their opponent, has advanced to the final four for the first time after beating No. 7 Assumption by 61-41. With this win, they’ve extended their winning streak to 13 games.
UMD currently ranks in the top 15 sides of the nation in field goal percentage (47.3, 4th), blocks per game (4.9, 8th), scoring defense (56.3 points allowed per game, 13th), and scoring margin (+14.6 per game, 14th). Moreover, they’re averaging 7.5 steals and 12.9 turnovers.
WBCA National Player of the Year Brooke Olson is leading the side by averaging 22.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, with 57% shooting from the field, 35% from three-point range, and 85% shooting from the free throw line.
With these numbers, she is near the top of multiple categories, including scoring (second), free throw percentage (100.0, first), field goal attempts (74, first), blocks (8, second), and rebounds (41, rebounds). In addition, she has 111 points so far in the postseason, chasing a record of 149 points set by Johannah Leedham in 2009.
Ella Gilbertson is another double-digit scorer averaging 10.2 points per game, and has come off primarily off the bench for head coach Mandy Pearson. Last but not least, 31 wins this season (previous best 26) have pushed head coach Mandy Pearson’s number of winning games to 150, who became just the second head coach to achieve this feat.
The winner of this game will play No. 1 Ashland or defending national champion Glenville State in the national championship game, scheduled to take place in Dallas on April 1, 2023.
