While we have already discussed what the local men’s basketball teams will be up to later this week, the women’s teams will also be representing the area starting this Saturday. DCist breaks down where the Terrapins, Hoyas and Midshipmen will be going for the women’s NCAA tournament:
Maryland: The Terrapins (28-4, 12-4 ACC) earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and will take on nearby Navy in the first round at the Comcast Center. That’s right, the Terps have home-court advantage in the first and second rounds of the tourney, provided they take care of the No 15 seed Midshipmen this Saturday. Head coach Brenda Frese has had an exceptional season thus far, taking the Terrapins to their second ACC Tournament championship title in four years.
ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas has been simply phenomenal, leading the Terps in scoring and averaging 18.2 points per game. She collected 29 points in Maryland’s victory against Georgia Tech in the ACC championship game. Only a sophomore, the future looks very promising for the Lady Terrapins. Considering that both Miami and Duke (which made up of three of the Terps’ four losses during the regular season) are in separate brackets, a Notre Dame/Maryland Final Four matchup seems very possible. Tipoff is at 11:15 a.m. this Saturday at College Park and will be televised on ESPN2.
Georgetown: The Hoyas (22-8, 11-5 Big East) look to continue their tournament success after a Sweet 16 appearance last year. They received a No. 5 seed and face the Fresno State Lady Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C. The No. 12 seed Lady Bulldogs, who won the Western Athletic Conference championship, are no stranger to the tournament, having made it for the fifth straight year. They also have WAC Player of the Year Ki-Ki Moore, who looks to match up against the Hoyas’ top scorer in Sugar Rodgers. Rodgers, besides having one of our favorite names, is averaging 18.6 points per game but shooting under 35 percent from the field.
If the Hoyas can get past Fresno State and either Georgia Tech or Sacred Heart, they have a potential Sweet 16 matchup with No. 1 overall seed Baylor, who were upset in the Elite Eight last year and are many prognosticators’ picks to take this year’s national championship. Baylor boasts six-foot-eight Brittney Griner, one of the most dominant players in the game—the Hoyas probably remember her 14 blocks against them in the 2010 NCAA tournament. Plus she can dunk, such as when she did it twice in a 99-18 whipping of Texas State.
Navy: As mentioned earlier, the Midshipmen (18-13, 8-6 Patriot League) earned a No. 15 seed and will be taking on in-state rival Maryland in College Park this Saturday. It’s been a wild ride for Navy as the team managed to play its way into the tournament by capturing the Patriot League championship after defeating Holy Cross just three days ago. The Mids have now collected back-to-back conference championships and entering March with some serious momentum. Sophomore forward Jade Geif leads the team both in scoring and rebounds and was pivotal in Navy’s victory over Holy Cross in the title game, collecting 22 points and 7 boards. Tipoff is at 11:15 a.m. this Saturday at College Park and will be televised on ESPN2.
Andrew Wiseman contributed to this report.
