Not taking home court for granted

No. 4 Hurricanes who have not played in nearly two weeks facing No. 13 Eagles

CORAL GABLES — They have thrown out ceremonial first pitches at a Miami baseball game. Done countless media interviews. Called season-ticket holders to ask for support and generally enjoyed this special moment.

For the first time since 1993, the Hurricanes women’s basketball team will host opening-round NCAA Tournament games on its home floor, and Miami’s players have reveled in the situation, after working so hard to earn it.

But now, the time for celebrating their accomplishment is done. There are games to win, and when the Hurricanes next take the floor at the Watsco Center on the Miami campus Saturday, they’ll see a Florida Gulf Coast team determined to upset them and end their season.

And that’s not the way the Hurricanes want to see a special season end.

“Knowing every game might be your last, you just play with a little bit more of a sense of urgency. … We have our minds set to something bigger,” said Hurricanes guard Adrienne Motley, a three-time AllACC player that enters the tournament averaging a team-high 13.7 points. “We’re just making sure we pursue that. We just have a better vision of what we want to accomplish, and I think we’re ready to just get the ball up in the air and just get going.”

It’s easy to understand Motley’s impatience.

The Hurricanes haven’t played a game in nearly two weeks, since their 57-52 ACC Tournament semifinal loss to Duke on March 4. But if there are any qualms Miami might be rusty heading into its matchup with Florida Gulf Coast, the person who knows the Hurricanes better than anyone isn’t willing to say it’s something that worries her.

Instead, Miami coach Katie Meier — who has now led the Hurricanes to eight consecutive postseason berths — is eager to see how the rest will benefit her team, which thrives in high-tempo, quickpaced games.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve seen these

guys fresh,” Meier said. “It has been a minute and I’m happy. I’m excited. It is like Christmas Eve, and I cannot wait to open up that present that’s sitting under the tree. I cannot wait because when we’re fresh, we’re good.”

As a No. 4 seed in the tournament and a host, there’s no doubt the Hurricanes — with their experienced lineup that includes Motley, fellow guards Jessica Thomas and Laura Cornelius and veteran post players Keyona Hayes and Emese Hof — is a favorite against the Eagles, who won the Atlantic Sun championship.

But the Eagles (26-8, 12-2) have more than proven they can hold their own. The No. 13 seed rebounded after a brutal November that had them lose five of their first seven games. When they lost their regular-season finale and the opportunity to host the A-Sun conference tournament, they went on the road and won three in a row to clinch their fourth NCAA Tournament berth in six years.

And they are second in the nation in 3-point field goals made, totaling 329 shots made from behind the arc, just three behind national-leader Idaho.

All of that has caught Miami’s attention, and the Hurricanes (23-8, 10-6 ACC) say they aren’t taking anything for granted as they prepare to open play in the tournament.

They aren’t overlooking Florida Gulf Coast, and they’re not assuming being home will be the difference.

In fact, the Hurricanes left their building on Friday afternoon and checked into a nearby hotel, where Meier believes her players can benefit from a businesslike, roadtrip atmosphere.

After that, it will be time to prove they were worthy of the opportunity to host and move forward.

“We’ve got to make sure we take care of business, especially since we’re playing at home,” Thomas said. “It’s not really pressure, but it’s an opportunity that we have to make sure we handle business first things first. You honestly play like there’s no game after this because you never know.”