The Transylvania University Pioneers will put their 64-game winning streak — currently the longest in any NCAA sport — on the line Thursday against top-ranked NYU in the Final Four.
It’s a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight women’s basketball game that Transylvania won 79-63. NYU has been ranked No. 1 most of the season despite No. 2 Transylvania being the undefeated reigning national champions.
Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. Reserve tickets, or check out the livestream.
Additionally, watch party locations include the Old North Bar in Lexington, The Manhattan Project in Louisville and OTR Stillhouse in Cincinnati.
Thursday’s other DIII semifinal matchup features No. 14 Smith College vs. No. 6 Wartburg University at 5 p.m. The Pioneers sent Smith packing 76-65 in last year’s Final Four.
The championship game is Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Pioneers returned to campus Sunday evening after a nearly 500-mile bus trip from Wisconsin, where they defeated No. 16 UW-Whitewater 62-48 on the Warhawks’ home court. The Elite Eight victory was Juli Fulks’ 400th career win.
Having to travel to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight (not to mention the No. 2 ranking) didn’t make these players mopey, though. They seem to thrive on that sort of thing.
“If there’s one thing about this team, they love to be insulted,” Fulks told the Herald-Leader. “And so — and I completely understand how it works — but I actually believed [the trip to Wisconsin] was going to play in our favor because they saw the things this week and heard about it, and they did a good job not saying anything.”
Also, today’s D3 Hoopsville “Fantastic Fours” podcast features standout Pioneers Laken Ball and Dasia Thornton.
Top two photos: Doug Sasse, d3photography.com.