DMN area womens teams chase NCAA invites

[OldTimer]

Women's teams chase NCAA invites

Among area squads, TCU has best chance to land NCAA bid

09:47 PM CST on Wednesday, February 22, 2006

By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

There were increased expectations for area women's basketball teams this season after TCU and UT-Arlington made the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and SMU played in the WNIT.

As the regular season winds down, those schools and North Texas are in position to reach postseason play again.

TCU (14-9) is poised for an NCAA bid from the strong Mountain West Conference.

The Frogs have played one of the toughest schedules in the country, facing such powers as Oklahoma, Georgia and Duke in nonconference games. In conference, TCU has faced three teams ranked in the top 25 – Utah, BYU and New Mexico.

The Frogs have three regular-season games remaining, with road contests against BYU and Utah.

The MWC could have as many as five teams reach the NCAA Tournament. Four teams could have at least 20 wins going into the conference tournament starting March 7 in Denver.

"We've got to finish strong, because of the strength of schedule, and 17 and 18 wins gets us in the tournament," TCU coach Jeff Mittie said. "The committee needs to treat [the MWC] like some of the bigger conferences and make sure we get some teams in the tournament. This has been one of the strongest years in the Mountain West Conference's history."

SMU (14-12) might have to win its remaining two regular-season games and perhaps reach the Conference USA tournament final to have a chance at postseason play.

SMU is in a three-way tie for second place in the conference. A finish among the top four would give the Mustangs a first-round bye in the conference tournament, to be held at SMU.

JOHN F. RHODES/DMN

TCU and coach Jeff Mittie (above left) have held up well enough through a tough schedule to have a chance for an NCAA Tournament bid. It will be tougher for SMU, with coach Rhonda Rompola (above) noting, 'Our RPI has to get higher for any tournament play.' UT-Arlington made the NCAAs for the first time last season, and coach Donna Capps (left) is hoping for a repeat.

"We can help ourselves by winning out and getting one of the top four spots," SMU coach Rhonda Rompola said. "That bye would be good for us, because it's very difficult to play four consecutive nights."

C-USA teams are hoping the conference gets more than one NCAA bid even if Tulsa (20-5) captures the tournament title. A strong finish would help SMU's chances.

"Our RPI has to get higher for any tournament play," Rompola said.

UT-Arlington (16-7) was the Cinderella story among area schools a year ago, when the Mavericks reached the NCAAs for the first time in school history. They clinched the automatic bid by winning the Southland Conference title on the road.

UTA probably will have to do that again. Southland tournament games are held at the various campus sites. The Mavericks are tied for first place with Stephen F. Austin, which owns the tiebreaker. If the schools meet in the conference title game, it would be held at SFA.

TOM FOX/DMN

NS_02UTAtexasSt3 1107302400 TOM FOX/Staff Photographer 84479 SPORTS_NS UTA women's basketball coach Donna Capps (center) shouts instructions to her players during a game with Texas State at Texas Hall, Wednesday, February 2, 2005. UTA won 65-51 maintainin a first place tie in the Southland Conference. UTA's Terra Wallace (22) is on the right. 03072005xSports*S188F2DD1*The Dallas morning news

"We've been decent on the road, so it doesn't bother the kids that much," UTA coach Donna Capps said. "I don't think it will be a breaking point. I'd rather be on top than at the bottom of the standings."

If North Texas (17-8) is to make the NCAAs, it will probably have to win the Sun Belt Conference tournament. The Sun Belt has not sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament since Louisiana Tech left the conference after the 2000-01 season.

UNT could improve its chances by winning the Sun Belt's West Division championship. The Mean Green would capture the division and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament by beating Troy and South Alabama on the road in its last two regular-season games.

Brett Vito of the Denton Record Chronicle contributed to this report.