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UCSD Women’s Basketball Team
Ends Best Season in History with Semifinal Defeat
Ioana Patringenaru | March 23, 2007
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| UCSD's women's basketball team celebrates its first NCAA regional championship. |
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The best season in the history of UCSD’s women’s basketball team ended March 22 in the semifinals of NCAA’s national Division II championships. The Tritons lost 67-53 to Southern Connecticut in Kearney, Neb.
UCSD held a 42-38 advantage with 13:25 minutes left to play. But Southern Connecticut then went on a 17-2 run over the next eight plus minutes to build a 55-44 lead that would dip below 10 points only one time in the final five minutes of the contest.
As a team, UCSD struggled from the floor in the second half, making only 10 of its 32 shots, but the biggest difference in the game came at the free throw line. The Tritons took four foul shots on the night, making all four, but Southern Connecticut went 21-for-30, accounting for 17 more points at the foul line in the game. Seniors Leora Juster and Hillary Hansen, along with sophomore Michelle Osier all scored 12 points for the Tritons while junior Meaghan Noud added 10. Osier also pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds.
Before reaching the semifinals, the Tritons defeated Glenville State 71- 61. Senior guard Leora Juster, a first team Division II All-American, scored 26 points and pulled down seven rebounds in that game. Fellow senior Hillary Hansen accounted for 20 points. But it was a tough defense that turned the tide in the Tritons’ favor. The Tritons took the lead for good on a Juster bucket with just over 10 minutes to go.
UCSD's women’s basketball earned its spot in the championships after knocking off conference rival Chico State, 80-63, in the NCAA West Regional Final March 12 at RIMAC Arena.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment for all the hard work these ladies have put in over the last year,” head coach Janell Jones said. “We’re excited to represent UCSD at the Elite Eight.”
Sophomore Michelle Osier came up huge during the regional championship game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, while Regional MVP Leora Juster chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for a double double of her own. Junior Meaghan Noud also racked up 19 points and senior Hillary Hansen had 15 for the Tritons.
“Winning regionals was an incredible feeling for all of us,” Noud said. “I don’t know that we thought we could be that good when we were freshmen.”
Juster also said she never expected to win the March 12 championship. After winning the CCAA championships March 3, the team just badly wanted to win its first post-season game, Juster said. The victories that followed all felt like really nice presents, she added.
“I think it’s a great accomplishment
for all the hard work these ladies have put in over
the last year,” head coach Janell Jones said.
“We’re excited to represent UCSD at the
Elite Eight.”
Sophomore Michelle Osier came up huge during the championship game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, while Regional MVP Leora Juster chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists for a double double of her own. Junior Meaghan Noud also racked up 19 points and senior Hillary Hansen had 15 for the Tritons.
“Winning regionals was an incredible feeling for all of us,” Noud said. “I don’t know that we thought we could be that good when we were freshmen.”
Juster also said she never expected to win Monday’s championship. After winning the CCAA championships March 3, the team just badly wanted to win its first post-season game, Juster said. The victories that followed all felt like really nice presents, she added.
The Tritons did get a hint early on that they could
come out really strong this season, Noud said. They
beat Western Washington, a much higher-ranked team,
at a pre-season tournament in Las Vegas. The team
just clicked, Noud said. “I think that was a
really good indication of how good we could possibly
be this year,” she added.
Juster, Hansen and Osier are great assets, Noud said.
Osier, last year’s CCAA Freshman of the Year,
was one of the keys to the team’s success this
season, she added. “She’s incredibly versatile.”Jones
also is an amazing coach and dedicated herself to
building the team and each player individually, Noud
said.
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