The task is unenviable and the odds are against the University of Maryland-Baltimore County women?s basketball team. Still, the Retrievers have never felt more confidence as they head into their first-round NCAA tournament game against perennial national title contender Connecticut Sunday.
UMBC (16-16), the 16th seed in the Fresno Region, dealt with the most stressful part of its schedule last weekend when it defeated the top three teams in the America East Conference tournament just to get to this point. Now, getting the opportunity to play top-seeded Connecticut (29-3) in a nationally televised ESPN game at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn., is the reward.
“This is what it?s all about,” UMBC coach Phil Stern said. “Getting the chance to play in the NCAA tournament is as big as it gets, and I?m just so glad that the players on this team will get to experience that.”
Playing in this game seemed like a pipe dream, at best, as the Retrievers entered the America East tournament having lost seven of their last 10 regular-season games to finish in seventh place in the nine-team league. But UMBC felt like it was still playing its best basketball of the year as it won at Vermont and lost close games at Maine and against Hartford in its final three games before the tournament. UMBC then beat Hartford, the top seed in the league tournament, in the final, 48-46.
“We felt we should have won most of those games down the stretch,” UMBC forward Sharri Rohde said. “Knowing that we just needed to fix a few things gave us the confidence to feel like we could beat anyone.”
UMBC will need that confidence against Connecticut. The Huskies, the Big East regular-season champion, are in search of their sixth national title and enter the tournament as a No. 1 seed for the 10th time in school history.
All-Big East first-team selection Renee Montgomery (13 points per game) is one of five Huskies that average double figures in scoring, while conference freshman of the year Tina Charles averages 8.6 rebounds a game.
“Of course, everyone expects Connecticut to win,” UMBC senior guard Brittnie Hughes said. “That?s why there?s no pressure on us. We?re just going to play hard and try to win the game. Even if we don?t, it will be a great experience.”
No. 16 UMBC vs. No. 1 Connecticut
» When: 9:30 p.m. Sunday
» Where: Hartford, Conn.
» TV: ESPN2
