Simpson draws Chicago in NCAA First Round

INDIANOLA, Iowa – The Simpson women's basketball team's 10th appearance in the NCAA Division III Basketball Championship takes them to the Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Ill. where it will face No. 19 University of Chicago in the opening round Friday, March 5. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

The second game of the day features host Illinois Wesleyan (26-1) against Franklin (21-6). The winner's of Friday's game will play on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Making its sixth-consecutive trip to the postseason under 23rd-year head coach Brian Niemuth, the Storm (22-5) earned the Iowa Conference's automatic bid to the tournament with a 65-61 win against top-seeded Coe in the championship game of the IIAC Tournament Saturday, Feb. 27. Darrina Bledsoe led Simpson with a career-high 15 points in the game.

Simpson's opponent, Chicago earned an at-large bid out of the University Athletic Association. The Maroons (19-6) earned an at-large bid to the tournament after falling to league-champions Washington-St. Louis in the UAA title game, 71-60.