Apologies for the lateness of this post. (Like you were on the edge of your seat, waiting.) I had some business-like issues that had to be addressed this morning.
So the selection shows for the Division-II NCAA basketball tournament were last night. Both the men's and women's teams at NKU have once again made the Big Dance. Both teams had earned a bye in the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament. The women fell in their first game in the tournament to eventual champion Maryville. The men beat Kentucky Weslyan and Missouri-St. Louis before falling in the finals to the University of Southern Indiana.
Early on in the GLVC championship game, it seemed as if the Norse were in complete control. They were shooting three's at will. The halftime score was 27-17, with the Norse on top. However, the second half was an entirely different story. The Screaming Eagles closed the gap out of the break, and totally erased the 10-point deficit. For the next 10 minutes or so, the game was back and forth. Both teams had the same amount of made field goals, as well as the same amount of made three-pointers. However, the difference was the foul shooting. Southern Indiana finished the game with 12 made foul shots, compared to the Norse's 2. At one point, USI got so hot they were actually up 11. However, in the closing minutes, the Norse nearly made it a game, climbing to within 2. However, late fouling and missed shots were the Norse's downfall, ultimately ending the game with USI taking home the 60-56 victory and the GLVC trophy.
But with the Selection Show came renewed hope for both teams. The women's team will be a 4 seed and face GLVC rival Quincy in the first round. They have not yet faced Quincy this year. The men's team is also the 4 seed and gets a match-up with GLIAC foe Findlay.
Of course, my bias toward these teams makes me think they're going to advance in the tournament. But both teams have single-digit losses during the season. The women's team features GLVC player of the year Casse Mogan, and they have not lost 2 games in a row all season. The men's team has a very balanced offense, going inside or shooting threes when necessary.
Should they advance, the Lady Norse could get top-seeded Ashland...or perhaps the team that knocked them out of the GLVC tourney, Maryville. Maryville, despite winning the GLVC trophy, was seeded 8th because of their 19-11 regular season record.
And if the men were able to get past Findlay, it could set up a match against 8th seed Lewis, whom the Norse took down twice in the regular season. Or it could create a marquee match-up with 2011 NCAA champion Bellarmine, who despite being upset by USI in the semis of the GLVC tourney, were awarded the top seed. The Norse would be looking for revenge, as the Knights took the W's in both meetings during the regular season. An extra incentive for the men's team: should they advance all the way to the Elite Eight, they'll have much more support the rest of the way, as the quarter and semi-finals as well as the NCAA Division-II championship will be held at the Bank of Kentucky Center. So regardless of the teams involved, Highland Heights will see late-season basketball games. But I'm sure there would be many more fans if the team in black and gold was still playing.
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