BSU Women’s Basketball Team Stands Strong

To a player the Boise State women's basketball team hated to see this season come to an end which it did Saturday in Corvallis 80-75 to Oregon State in overtime in round one of the NCAA Tournament.

Their final record of 28-5 was a new mark for season victories but more than that, this group of players had fun every time they took the court.

Watching the game against the Beavers you could see the Broncos joy in playing even though the NCAA Tournament committee did Boise State no favors by making them a 13 seed.

Boise State earned an RPI ranking of 39 compared to a 61 for Arkansas Little-Rock yet ALR received a 12 seed which meant a neutral court in Corvallis against Gonzaga.

The Zags won that game and will meet Oregon State later tonight.

Boise State deserved the chance to play Gonzaga based not only on their RPI but also their record, 28-4 compared to 21-10 for ALR.

Still, once the pairings were in Boise State accepted the challenge and gave Oregon State everything it had coming up just short.

Boise State led by four points with 17 seconds to play but were tied up on the inbound play and jump ball arrow belonged to the Beavers and to their credit, they hit the shots to tie it and force overtime.

One could have easily argued Boise State wasn't tied up but fouled, which is the way I saw it but that's all part of the game like it or not.

Boise State is now 0-6 in NCAA tournament games and frustrated that despite making the dance three straight years and four of the last five and with a top 40 RPI can't seem to get the respect for a better seed.

In women's basketball the seeding is far more important than for the men because the first and second rounds aren't played at determined sites but rather at the home site of the top seeds. UCONN for instance always plays their first two games at home as Oregon State will this year.

In the past BSU has been sent to Louisville and UCLA with little hope of winning. Had the Broncos played Gonzaga Saturday in Corvallis, win of lose at least they would have finally played a true NCAA game on a neutral court.

While many as they did on twitter argued back and forth whether or not it was a foul or jump ball in the final 17 seconds it is what it is and that's part of the game, what shouldn't be part of the game are the politics of selection.

The referee made the call as she saw it....to me an RPI rating of 39 to 61 is a slam dunk, no judgement needed.

Congratulations to Gordy Presnell and the Boise State women for a perfect combo of fight and class.