Memorable Basketball Seasons End in NCAA Round Two
Posted Mar 09, 2026
Two Strong Basketball Seasons End in NCAA Round Two
The Otterbein University women’s basketball team saw its memorable 2025-26 season come to an end Saturday night, March 7, falling 82-43 to undefeated Scranton in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Saturday’s result closes the book on one of the strongest seasons in program history. Otterbein captured the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round, and matched the program record for wins, adding another milestone season to the history of Cardinal women’s basketball.
The Cardinals finished the year with a 23-6 overall record, tying the 2003-04 team for the most wins in program history. That 2003-04 campaign also carries a special connection to the current program, as it marked the senior season of current head coach Diana Noles. Noles earned her 100th coaching win in the first round on March 6. Otterbein’s 23-win season also stands as just the fourth 20-win campaign in program history.
Read more at OtterbeinCardinals.com.
The No. 24 Otterbein University men’s basketball team saw its exciting season come to a close on Saturday, March 7, falling 81-66 to No. 6 University of Chicago in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Otterbein finishes the 2025-26 season with a 23-6 overall record, spending the final six weeks of the year in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, topping at No. 17. Men’s basketball finished second in the OAC and earned an at-large bid, impressing the committee with their regular season performance.
The hard-fought season ended with the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002.