The big rivalry heating up between two small, elite women’s college basketball programs

Baldwin Wallace University and John Carroll University have long been rivals. Separated by about 25 miles in Berea and University Heights, both schools are in the Division III Ohio Athletic Conference.

“They love to compete in anything,” Terry Pluto said.

A coaching legend at BW
Baldwin Wallace has been a women’s college basketball powerhouse, led by head coach Cheri Harrer.

She’s in her 32nd year as coach and has amassed a 631-230 career record with a .733 winning percentage. She’s had 17 teams that won 20 or more games and has taken her teams to the NCAA Tournament 15 times in her career.

This season, Baldwin Wallace leads the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 7-0 record, 10-2 overall. The team is ranked 11th in the most recent D3 top 25 rankings.

JCU’s up-and-coming elite coach
Then there’s John Carroll University, with a 6-1 record in the OAC, 11-2 overall. They’re currently ranked 12th in Division III, just behind their rivals.

JCU won the OAC with a 13-2 record last season, a COVID-19 year where there was no Division III NCAA tournament.

“It used by that Baldwin Wallace dominated in women’s hoops. Not anymore,” Pluto said.

John Carroll is led by second-year coach Beth Andrews. The 28-year-old played for JCU from 2011-15 and was part of the school’s first two NCAA tournament teams. She said Harrer tried to recruit her to play at BW, but she picked her alma mater.

Andrews was an assistant under Kelly Morrone, who left JCU after seven seasons to coach at Merrimack College.

A focus on winning and academics
Pluto says Harrer and Andrews have similar qualities. Harrer has made Baldwin Wallace home, and Andrews plans to put roots down at JCU.

They both have a commitment to academics, a common thread in Division III where there are no athletic scholarships.

“The leading scorer at Baldwin Wallace and in the Ohio Athletic Conference is Lilly Edwards. She’s studying to be a nurse and has a 3.7 GPA,” Pluto said.

“Then you turn around and for John Carroll you have Olivia Nagy, a three-time OAC Defensive Player of the Year. She has a 3.7 GPA in accounting and did an internship at PricewaterhouseCoopers,” Pluto said.

Pluto said with the Division III NCAA Tournament likely returning this year, it will be interesting to see what happens with the two schools.

“They both could make the tournament, and they both would like to try to make a run at it. And they’re both good enough to dream,” Pluto said.