Lehigh University Mountain Hawks, No. 15
2024-25 Record: 27-6, 15-3 Patriot League
Head Coach: Addie Micir (Assistant coach, 2019, head coach since 2022)
Micir won Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading Lehigh to the most wins in a season since 2009-10.
2023-24 Finish: 17-13, 9-9 Patriot League (5th place)
Lehigh advanced to the Patriot League Tournament but was eliminated in the first round with a 58-51 loss to Loyola University Maryland.
How They Got Here: The Mountain Hawks secured an automatic bid into the tournament following a 74-62 victory on Sunday against Army to win the Patriot League Tournament title, their sixth in program history.
Who to watch: Fifth-year wing Maddie Albrecht earned the title of Championship MVP after posting 13 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. Additionally, senior guards Colleen McQuillen and Ella Stemmer were named to the All-Tournament Team alongside Albrecht.
Albrecht is averaging 15.7 ppg, the third-highest mark in the conference. Stemmer averages 11.3 ppg and has knocked down the second-most 3-pointers in the Patriot League. McQuillen averages 3.5 assists per game and has dished out the third-most assists in the conference.
Key notes: In the Patriot League Championship, the Mountain Hawks shot 60% from the field, including a fourth quarter in which they shot 77.8%. Beyond their fast-paced “share it and shoot it” offense, the Mountain Hawks boast the nation’s 38th-ranked scoring defense, allowing 57.4 ppg. The Mountain Hawks run a deep rotation of 10 players each game.
Duke University Blue Devils, No. 2
2024-25 Record: 26-7, 14-4 ACC
Head Coach: Kara Lawson enters her fifth season at Duke with a 68-33 record, leading the Blue Devils to more than 20 wins and NCAA Tournament appearances in the last two seasons.
2023-24 Finish: 22-12, 11-7 ACC
As the No. 7 seed in the ACC Tournament, the Blue Devils defeated No. 10 Georgia Institute of Technology before falling to NC State University in the quarterfinals. They earned an at-large bid and defeated the University of Richmond in the first round, upset No. 2 Ohio State University in the second round and were eliminated by No. 3 University of Connecticut in the Sweet 16.
How They Got Here: The Blue Devils ran the table as the No. 3 seed to win the ACC Tournament Championship, defeating NC State 76-62 in the final to secure the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Who To Watch: Sophomore guard Jadyn Donovan built on a strong debut season, averaging 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. She will likely be tasked with guarding Albrecht, Lehigh’s leading scorer. Donovan earned a spot on the ACC All-Defensive Team this season.
First-year forward Toby Fournier is Duke’s leading scorer. The six-time ACC Rookie of the Week averages 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 53% from the field. Her nine games with more than 20 points scored rank second-most by a Duke first-year in program history. Fournier’s efforts landed her the ACC Rookie of the Year award.
Key Notes: Home court has been a major advantage for the Blue Devils this season, with just one loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium — a 70-62 defeat to Louisville.
The Blue Devils played the second-toughest schedule in the nation. They share the ball offensively, averaging 17 assists per game, and play handsy defense, averaging 10.4 steals per game.
Women’s March Madness game will be broadcasted on ESPNU. The contest tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday.
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