UTICA, N.Y. -- Ridgewater College rolled into the NJCAA Division III women's basketball semifinal with a 63-51 win over College of DuPage Thursday.
Jamie Munson led the Lady Warriors' balanced offense with 15 points followed by Terra Billiet with 13, Jenny Cunningham with nine, Ashley Olson eight and Katie Johnson and Kayla Karnes with six apiece.
The Lady Warriors will play No. 1-seed Monroe College of the Bronx, N.Y., today to advance to the national championship game.
The Warriors led for all but a few moments of the first half, including 27-24 at halftime. Billiet and Munson, both sophomores, each had six points in the first half.
DuPage stayed close and was within 45-40 when Karnes hit a three-pointer for a 48-40 lead. Ridgewater led 50-42 with 7:05 left in the second half when Cunningham, a sophomore guard, crashed to the floor and had to be carried off.
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"It's a bad sprain, but she'll try to play tomorrow," said Ogdahl. "She told her mom and dad, 'I have two games left and then I'm done for ever, so I'll do whatever it takes to play'. She's tough, but I can't image her playing."
Amy Ballard came off the bench and shot two free throws for the injured player, making both for a 10-point lead.
Ridgewater continued to stretch the lead against the No. 4 seed, which had finished in the top three of this tournament three of the last four years, including the national title in 2002.
Ridgewater is making its first appearance in the national tournament since 2001, when it placed sixth.
Ogdahl flew out to join the team Wednesday. She gave birth exactly a week before the start of the tournament to her third child, a son named Landon.
Her father, Mike Johnson, a longtime men's basketball coach at Ridgewater, is with the team as an assistant coach this week.
Ridgewater College 63, College of DuPage 51
College of DuPage (22-10) 24 27 -- 51
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Ridgewater (21-7) 27 36 -- 63
COLLEGE OF DUPAGE, ILLINOIS - 22-57 FG (3-11 3 pt); 4-9 FT; 32 rebounds; 17 fouls ... Scoring: Christina Daniello 0-1 0-0 0, Evan Greene 0-1 0-0 0, Kristina Hedlund 1-1 0-0 2, Courtney Koller 2-3 1-4 5, Theresa Larson 3-14 0-1 6, Vaiva Peterson 1-5 3-4 5, Jeanna Schroedter 1-1 0-0 2, Nicole Skala 7-17 0-0 17, Jessica Steele 0-1 0-0 0, Paige Trench 3-5 0-0 6, Krista Woldeit 4-8 0-0 8 ... 3-point shots: Skala 3-9, Steele 0-1, Trench 0-1 ... Rebound leaders: Larson 7, Peterson 6, Koller 5 ... Assist leaders: Peterson 3, Skala 3, Trench 3 ... Steal leaders: Koller 2, Woldeit 2
RIDGEWATER - 23-61 FG (3-11 3 pt); 14-20 FT; 47 rebounds; 12 fouls ... Scoring: Amy Ballard 0-2 2-2 2, Terra Billiet 6-11 1-2 13, Jenny Cunningham 3-10 2-6 9, Katie Johnson 3-11 0-0 6, Kayla Karnes 1-8 3-4 6, Jamie Munson 4-8 6-6 15, Ashley Olson 4-6 0-0 8, Sarah Primus 1-2 0-0 2, Melissa Sterkel 1-2 0-0 2 ... 3-point shots: Munson 1-2, Cunningham 1-3, Karnes 1-4, Ballard 0-1, Johnson 0-1 ... Rebound leaders: Billiet 9, Johnson 7, Karnes 7, Primus 5 ... Assist leader: Karnes 6 ... Steal leader: Munson 2
