The DePauw’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams both had a great weekend against Wooster on Feb. 22, coming out victorious. The men won a 76-70 nailbiter, while the women won handedly with a score of 73-39.
The men’s team sought to settle the score after a 53-84 loss to Wooster earlier in the season, making the game a nailbiter all the way through. DePauw led with 30-25 after the first-half, but after trading points for the entire half, the Tigers found themselves down at 53-60 with just over five minutes left in the game. After that, DePauw kicked it into gear and went on a 7-0 run, seizing the momentum, which carried them to a 76-70 win. Guard Kyle Lilliwitz ‘25 led the scoring for the Tigers, racking up 26 points with 4 three-pointers to boot. Lilliwitz’s performance earned him the coveted NCAC Men’s Basketball Athlete of the Week Award. The win marked the end of the Tigers’ regular season. The men’s team took on Ohio Wesleyan in the quarterfinals of the NCAC tournament, but they ultimately fell in a 71-74 loss on Tuesday, Feb. 25. DePauw finished the year with an overall record of 13-13 and an NCAC record of 9-7.
The women’s game was an offensive explosion. They ended the first quarter with a lead of 12-11, but broke away in the second-quarter, taking a 32-19 lead and never looking back. Wooster only scored seven points in the third quarter, while DePauw scored 25, which all but sealed the win heading into the final ten minutes of the game. Guard Ava Hassel ‘25 was the leading scorer for the Tigers, tallying 12 points, with forward Olivia Hart ‘27 not far behind with ten points. The win secured the number two seed in the NCAC tournament for the women, and they finished the regular season with an overall record of 18-6 and an NCAC record of 12-2.
The Tigers competed in the semifinal of the tournament on Friday, Feb. 28, against sixth-seeded Hiram. DePauw beat their opponents 69-53 and advanced to their ninth NCAC championship game.