CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The semifinals are set in the 2025 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Women’s Basketball Tournament after the first round matchups concluded this evening. The semifinals are set to be played Thursday, February 27 in Waverly, Iowa and Cedar Rapids, Iowa with tipoff set for 7:00p at both locations.
The sixth-seeded Central College Dutch (15-11 overall, 7-9 A-R-C) took down third-seeded Simpson College (15-11 overall, 11-5 A-R-C) for the first time since February 2, 2002. The Dutch grabbed a 96-89 victory in double overtime. Central was led in scoring by Emily Naughton with 21 points followed by CeCe Moore with 17 points, then Hannah Dau with 14 points. Samantha Scott stepped up off the bench tonight for the Dutch and put up 16 points.
With the win, the Dutch will now prepare to square off with the second-seeded Coe College Kohawks (19-6 overall, 11-5 A-R-C).
Fourth-seeded Luther College (18-8 overall, 10-6 A-R-C) has punched its ticket to the semifinal round of the A-R-C Tournament after defeating the University of Dubuque (10-16 overall, 7-9 A-R-C) in the opening round of tournament action. Haylie Strum led the action for the Norse with 19 points followed by Kailey Jones with 16 points. Kate Hosking posted 14 points to round off the Luther scorers in double digits.
With the win, the Norse will now head to Waverly, Iowa to face off with the nationally ranked and the No. 1 seed Wartburg College Knights (23-2 overall, 16-0 A-R-C).
A full preview of the games will be available on Thursday.
First Round - Tuesday, February 25
No. 5 University of Dubuque (53) at No. 4 Luther (69) - Decorah, Iowa
No. 6 Central (96) at No. 3 Simpson (89) - Indianola, Iowa
Semifinals - Thursday, February 27
No. 4 Luther College at No. 1 Wartburg - Waverly, Iowa - 7:00p
No. 6 Central at No. 2 Coe - Cedar Rapids, Iowa - 7:00p
Championship - Saturday, March 1
Semifinal 1 Winner vs. Semifinal 2 Winner
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About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
