A lot of attention has been heaped on the men's basketball teams at Marquette and Wisconsin, but there is a lot going on with the state's women's programs, too.
Golden Eagles face Tennessee: Tatiyiana McMorris' three-pointer in the final seconds gave Marquette a 68-65 victory over Texas Saturday, in the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007.
Marquette trailed the Longhorns by nine with 12 minutes to play but the Golden Eagles rallied to tie the game in the final minute, setting the stage for McMorris' game-winner and setting up a second-round meeting with top-seeded Tennessee tonight in Knoxville, Tenn.
Marquette, seeded eighth, knows it has a tough test in facing the Lady Vols on their home court, where Pat Summit's team went undefeated this season. Still, head coach Terri Mitchell believes firmly that playing in the Big East has the Golden Eagles ready to face Tennessee.
"I want everyone to understand: We know what we're up against in Tennessee," Mitchell said. "There isn't a person in our room who doesn't know how great this team is. And at the same time, our players feel they have been very prepared by the Big East because of the wins we've had, losses we've had, the things we have faced to make us stronger. We always say, 'Whether you win or lose, can you get better?' We've tried to get better every time we've stepped on the court and we're hoping everything we've learned comes in to tomorrow night and helps us make this an entertaining basketball game."
The two teams have met just once previously, back in 1996. Tennessee handed Marquette an 83-68 loss in the Howard Bank Classic in Burlington, Vt. It was Mitchell's first game as Marquette head coach.
The Marquette-Tennessee game will air at 6:05 p.m. on ESPN2. Dave O'Brien will call the play-by-play and Debbie Antonelli will handle the analysis. The game will also be available online at ESPN3.com.
UWGB advances: After beating opponents by an average of 23 points per game this season, the UW-Green Bay Phoenix found itself in a nail-biter in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Phoenix advanced to the second round with a 59-55 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock, behind a 24-point effort from Kayla Tetschlag, the Horizon League player of the year.
The fifth-seeded Phoenix (33-1), riding a 21-game winning streak, advances to a second round match up with No. 4 Michigan State (27-5) Tuesday in Whichita, Kan. The game is scheduled to tip at 8:40 p.m. and will be broadcast by ESPN2.
Badgers are champs ... again: The University of Wisconsin women's hockey team won its fourth national championship in six years with a 4-1 victory Sunday over Boston University in Erie, Penn.
Carolyne Prevost had two goals for the Badgers (37-2-2), including an empty-netter at 19:42. Brooke Ammerman and Mallory Deluce added one apiece.
Wisconsin finished the season with 14 straight victories and was unbeaten in its final 27 games.
Stone out at UW: Wisconsin AD Barry Alvarez announced Monday afternoon that women's basketball coach Lisa Stone has been let go after eight seasons and a 128-119 record with one NCAA tournament appearance.
The Badgers went 16-15 this season, losing to Illinois State in the second round of the WNIT.
"I would like to thank Coach Alvarez and the administration for their support over the past eight years," Stone said in a statement released by the university Monday. "I would also like to thank my staff and players for their hard work both in the classroom and on the court. This program has meant the world to me and I have put my heart and soul into it. It has been an honor to be the head coach for the Wisconsin Badgers."
Alvarez thanked Stone for her work at UW.
"She is a good person and has been a loyal and enthusiastic representative of our athletic department and university," Alvarez said. Off the court, Lisa and her program have contributed much to our community. On the court, however, our women's basketball program has not reached and maintained the level of success I believe is possible. Accordingly, I have decided to make a coaching change. We will immediately begin the search for a new women's head basketball coach at Wisconsin."
