The St. Thomas women’s basketball team will begin this year’s NCAA Division III basketball tournament at 9 p.m. March 2 at Schoenecker Arena by hosting Chapman University from Orange, California.

After winning their seventh consecutive MIAC playoff championship, the No. 10-ranked Tommies (18-0 MIAC, 25-2 overall) will play against the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Panthers (15-1 SCIAC, 23-4 overall) for the first time in tournament history.

“Chapman (has) a very explosive, dynamic, different style than we’re used to,” coach Ruth Sinn said. “They’re very athletic.”

The Tommies will have to contain Panther guards Lucy Criswell and Jaime Hum-Nishikado. Criswell, the SCIAC player of the year, averaged 15.2 points per game this season and is ranked second in the conference in three-point shots, trailing only Nishikado, who averaged 13.2 points per game herself.

“We’re (going to) have to guard the arc,” Sinn said. “This is a team that we’ve got to really make sure that we’re prepared and ready for, and hopefully we can make them play to our strengths and their weaknesses.”

St. Thomas center Hannah Spaulding, who was unable to play the previous two games due to injury, stated earlier this week that she has passed her concussion protocol test and will most likely be back in the lineup for Friday’s game.

“I kind of felt like I haven’t missed much,” Spaulding said. “It was kind of good in a way because I (got) my legs back … Not ideal timing, obviously, but I’m trying to see the good in it.”

With the Tommies having to fill Spaulding’s role in the MIAC playoffs, Spaulding, MIAC player of the year with an average of nearly 20 points per game and an NCAA-leading field goal percentage of over 70 percent, is looking forward to being back on the court.

“In the week that I was gone, everyone else had to step up, and we had a lot more people attacking,” Spaulding said. “There’s less pressure of ‘let’s get the ball in the post.’ Other people are looking to do what they do best.”

Before the Tommies play the Panthers, St. Thomas’ home floor will host the Wisconsin-Lutheran Warriors (18-2 NACC, 24-3 overall) and the No. 13-ranked University of Chicago Maroons (14-0 UAA, 23-2 overall) at 5:30 p.m. The winners of the March 2 games will play at 7 p.m. Saturday at Schoenecker Arena in the second round.

Despite the Tommies being mainly focused on the Panthers, Sinn is keeping a steady eye on the other teams within their bracket.

“Our (bracket) is very tough,” Sinn said. “I’m kind of surprised how tough (it) is.”

Sinn mentioned that the Tommies have had an overview of the Warriors and the Maroons, the latter of whom St. Thomas defeated in the second round of last year’s tournament, but she said that the team’s top priority is the first round.

“Our focus is all Chapman,” Sinn said. “Because if we don’t take care of business with Chapman, there is no next game.”

Matthew Curry can be reached at curr1523@stthomas.edu