LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Transylvania University women’s basketball team won the Division III National Championship in Dallas on Saturday. They played against Christopher Newport University and it was a close game until the very end.

The stands at the Beck Center were filled with supporters on Wednesday to celebrate the team’s big win.

What You Need To Know

  • The Transylvania women’s basketball team faced Christopher Newport at the Division III basketball championship and won the game

  • Yesterday, a celebration was held on campus to recognize the accomplishment

  • The seats were filled with students, family and staff who were there to celebrate the win

  • The team went undefeated during their season and this is the university’s first national championship

Head coach Juli Fulks appreciated those who had been cheering the team along throughout the season.

“I am just so grateful and blessed,” said Fulks. “There is just a gym-full of people that have found ways to add joy to our journey and help us meet this dream that we put into the world last May.”

Mayor Linda Gorton and Kentucky’s Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman were among those who spoke at the ceremony to congratulate and recognize the team. Mayor Gorton presented them with the Spirit of Lexington Award and Coleman announced that the team, staff and coaches are officially Kentucky Colonels.

Even though the women finished their season with an undefeated record, there was still work to be done to prepare for the championship.

“We had a week and a half to prepare for this game and we spent a lot of time working on breaking the press and we ended up executing pretty well on our side during the game,” said Dasia Thornton, a forward on the team.

It was the team’s dedication to the game of basketball that ultimately led to this historic win.

“This championship proved that the science is correct… joy, gratitude and happiness really is a competitive advantage and we’ve got rings to prove it,” said Fulks.

The well-deserved trophy is at Transylvania University to serve as a reminder of their colossal achievement. This is the university’s first national championship.

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