Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Hurricanes
Women’s basketball team will open NCAA Tournament play at home.
SOUTH MIAMI — Some of the players jumped up and cheered. Others used their cell phones to capture the moment. Their coach, who has never shied away from sharing her emotions, eventually wiped away tears.
For the Miami Hurricanes women’s basketball team, Monday evening was one to cherish.
After a season of working to build its resume against quality opponents in the loaded Atlantic Coast Conference, Miami learned it would host first and secondround games in the NCAA Tournament during a celebratory watch party near campus where a room full of fans cheered the announce- ment.
It’s the first time since 1993 the Hurricanes (23-8), have hosted NCAA tournament games.
The Hurricanes, who earned a No. 4 seed in the Stockton Region, will host 13th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday at 4 p.m., at the
Watsco Center. Fifthseeded Marquette, coached by former Miami assistant Carolyn Kieger, will take on 12th-seeded Quinnipiac at 1:30 on Saturday.
It’s a stark difference from a year ago, when Miami traveled more than 3,000 miles to play its opening-round game in Palo Alto. Or two years ago when the Hurricanes traveled to chilly Iowa City.
And for Miami, which is now making its eighth consecutive postseason appearance and sixth NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years, all of that was reason to cheer.
“It’s a big moment. We’ve earned a three seed a couple times and just by nature of some of the way they changed the rules, we didn’t get to host. We just haven’t had a break,” Miami coach Katie Meier said. “It’s just so nice. Not that this is lucky. We earned it. I thought our RPI was solid. … But you never know. To see those kids erupt like that. … I’ll tell you.”
The UM women learning they would host caps a heady two-day stretch for the Hurricanes basketball programs, who for the first time in school history will send both their men’s and women’s teams to the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years.
The Miami men, who advanced to the Sweet 16 last year, learned Sunday they’d open their tournament run against Michigan State in Tulsa on Friday night.
Less than 24 hours after that, the women will take center stage against Florida Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Sun Conference champion which posted a 26-8 record this season and is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in six years.
Miami and FGCU have met just once, with the Hurricanes earning a 70-57 win in the WNIT in 2010.
Now the Hurricanes, who have been ranked in the top 25 all season and posted a 13-2 record at home, are hoping that playing at the Watsco Center will help them pick up a pair of wins to put them in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992.
The odds are in their favor.
Miami is 6-1 all-time in Coral Gables in postseason play, including 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament.
“We play well on the road, but I think we play really well at home,” said Hurricanes senior guard Jessica Thomas, who along with fellow senior Adrienne Motley is the heart and soul of the Miami lineup. “We play inspired for our fans and everybody that’s out there. I think we’ll have a lot of energy.”
Added Motley, “We were just so happy to see Coral Gables up there. We’ve been working so hard for it. I know over the past couple of days, I’ve just been thinking in my head how we have to get this hosting bid, we’ve got to get this hosting bid. Just seeing our name up there and knowing we have a couple games to play in our fans, it’s amazing. It’s amazing for us.”