2011 Women's NCAA Tournament: Georgetows Falls To UConn, 68-63, As Upset Bid Falls Short

It was a heck of a run for the Lady Hoyas, but their season finally ended after they lost to the Connecticut Huskies 68-63 in a valiant effort in the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA bracket.

The Hoyas came out of halftime with a slim lead, and you knew the Huskies were going to respond at some point in the second half.

And respond they did, as they went on a 7-0 run to tie the game up with seven minutes remaining. From that point, you knew that the Huskies would take over and simply wear down the Hoyas.

Unfortunately for the Hoyas, they were unable to have that counter run to tie the game back up in the last few minutes of the game. UConn proved too much in the waning moments and because of that, the Hoyas are coming back to D.C.

It was certainly a valiant run in the tournament these Hoyas had.  In the second round of the tournament, they beat a Maryland squad at Comcast Center (essentially a home game) that no one thought they could beat, and then they were able to put up a fight for most of the afternoon against the Huskies.

So while the Hoyas season is now over, they can look back at this run knowing they gave it their all.

The Georgetown Hoyas are leading UConn 35-32 at the half, thanks in large part to a huge run in the latter part of the first half. Could this be an upset in the making? 

The Hoyas were trailing the Huskies 24-19 when they went on a stunning 14-2 run to pull ahead. Monica McNutt has 11 points at the half, with Latia Magee right behind her with eight points.

The Hoyas know that they are going to have to keep up the pace in the second half if they are to pull off the monster upset of Geno Auriemma's squad.

The key going forward is seeing how the Hoyas will respond to a UConn comeback. This Huskies team is too tough to just let an underdog simply beat them, so they are surely going to make a run to pull even or to take the lead once more. From there it will be up to the Hoyas to respond and go on a similar run in the second half that could potentially put them back on top.

We'll see if they have it in them.

The big local battle between the established program and the up-and-comer went to the up-and-comer, emphatically. The Georgetown Hoyas embarrassed the Maryland Terrapins in the second round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament, defeating Maryland 79-57 on the Terps' home floor at the Comcast Center. The win means the Hoyas will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA bracket for the first time since 1993.

The Hoyas scored 13 of the game's first 14 points, went on an 11-2 run in the first half to open up a double-digit lead and never looked back. Ta'Shauna Rogers led the way with 34 points and nine rebounds, completely dominating the game. Georgetown was on fire from beyond the arc, hitting 13 of 25.

The Terps suffered their first double-digit loss of the season in the defeat. They lost forward Diandra Tchatchouang to injury early in the game, and never recovered. 

The No. 5 seeded Hoyas now move on to face top-seeded Connecticut, who once again rolled over teams, but "only" defeated Georgetown by 10 and 16 this season. 

The Georgetown Hoyas talked a big game entering their second-round Women's NCAA Tournament matchup with Maryland. They have backed it up thus far. The Hoyas began the game on a 13-1 run and lead 40-26 at halftime at the Comcast Center.

The Terps got back in the game after the big run, but Georgetown broke it open again with an 11-2 run to open up a 15-point lead that they carried into the locker room.

Ta'Shauna Rogers has led the way, scoring a remarkable 21 first-half points on 7-11 shooting, including 6-8 from downtown. She also has five rebounds and has completely victimized the Terps. Monica McNutt and Alexa Roche added eight points apiece to account for most of the scoring.

Laurin Mincy led the Terps with 10 points off the bench. Maryland suffered a key injury when post player Diandra Tchatchouang suffered a foot injury early in the game. The Terps are missing her right now.

The Georgetown Hoyas women's team did something this year that it's men's team couldn't: advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Georgetown defeated Princeton 65-49 at Comcast Center in College Park,MD to move on to the second round.

The Hoyas victory was thanks in large part to Ta'Shauna "Sugar" Rodgers, who scored a game high 26 points to go along with 8 rebounds and four assists, all team highs. Rodgers was so dominant in the first half, that her point total eclipsed that of the entire Princeton squad. The Hoyas went into the locker room ahead 34-14, and the second half seemed like it was merely a formality.

The next matchup is where this tournament will get interesting for local hoops fans. The fifth seeded Hoyas will play the fourth seeded Maryland Terrapins on Tuesday night at Comcast Center, Maryland's home court.The Hoyas know that their next game is essentially a road game, so they will have to turn it up a notch if they hope to defeat Brenda Frese's squad

Playing in the friendly confines of the Comcast center, the Maryland Lady Terps cruised past the St. Francis Red Flash by the final score of 70-48.

The Terps came out with a dominant first half, as Maryland went into halftime with a 40-17 lead over St. Francis. At that point, it was already pretty clear that the Red Flash were probably not going to come back on the Lady Terps. That made nearly the entire second half garbage time, as St. Francis outscored the Terps by just one point in the second half, and still lost by 22 points. 

Three Lady Terps were in double figures, which were lead by Alyssa Thomas' 16 points. 

Maryland will now move on to the second round of the tournament, and will play the winner of the Georgetown-Princeton game.

Whoever the Terps play, they will once again have the advantage of playing on their home court.

The 2011 women's NCAA Tournament schedule reaches its second day on Sunday, with 16 more first-round games. Among those games: Maryland and Georgetown. The No. 4 seeded Terps get their NCAA Tournament underway at 12:20 against St. Francis, while No. 5 seed Georgetown follows against Princeton at 2:30. Both games can be seen on ESPN2.

If the two clubs win? Then, in a twist of irony, they will play each other in the second round on Tuesday. Here is the rest of the schedule for Sunday's action. Local game are in italics.

12:05 p.m.: No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 16 Hartford; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

12:10 p.m.: No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

12:15 p.m.: No. 3 Miami (FL) vs. No. 14 Gardner-Webb; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

12:20 p.m.: No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 St. Francis (PA); ESPN2, ESPN3.com

2:30 p.m.: No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Purdue; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

2:30 p.m.: No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 James Madison; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

2:30 p.m.: No. 5 Georgetown vs. No. 12 Princeton; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

2:30 p.m.: No. 2 Xavier vs. No. 15 South Dakota State; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

5:05 p.m.: No. 2 Texas A&M vs. No. 15 McNeese State; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

5:10 p.m.: No. 8 Houston vs. No. 9 West Virginia; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

5:15 p.m.: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 Samford; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

5:20 p.m.: No. 5 Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

7:30 p.m.: No. 1 Baylor vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

7:30 p.m.: No. 7 Rutgers vs. No. 10 Louisiana Tech; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

7:30 p.m.: No. 6 Georgia vs. No. 11 Middle Tennessee; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

7:30 p.m.: No. 4 Michigan State vs. No. 13 Northern Iowa; ESPN2, ESPN3.com

The DePaul Blue Demons defeated the Navy Midshipmen this afternoon by a score of 56-43 in the first round of the Women's NCAA Tournament. 

And this victory is an especially sweet victory for the Blue Demons, as they end a dubious streak for their basketball program. DePaul had been knocked out of the tournament for in four consecutive first round games prior to this victory, and will finally be able to see life after the tournaments first round action.

DePaul had three players in double figures, which was led by Felicia Chester's 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Although DePaul is surely savoring this victory, they know they have a tough task ahead. Now the Blue Demons will face Penn St. in University Park, which will essentially be a road game for them. The third seeded Blue Demons will be going against the sixth seeded Lady Lions, who defeated Dayton 75-66, for the right to move on to the sweet sixteen.

The women's version of March Madness gets underway this weekend, with first- and second-round action lasting until Tuesday. Five local teams are involved, with Maryland, Georgetown, Navy, Hampton and James Madison all a part of the NCAA bracket.

Here are the scheduled matchups for Saturday's 2011 NCAA Women's Tournament action.

11 a.m.: No. 5 Georgia Tech vs. No. 12 Bowling Green, ESPN2/ESPN3.com

Thanks to Jason Kirk at SBNation.com, here is a complete listing of every first round game in the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament.

Left Bracket

Philadelphia Region 

No. 1 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 16 Hartford, Sun., noon in Storrs

No. 8 Kansas St. Wildcats vs. No. 9 Purdue Boilermakers, Sun., 2:30 in Storrs

No. 5 Georgetown Hoyas vs. No. 12 Princeton, Sun., 2:30 in College Park

No. 4 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 13 St. Francis, Sun. noon in College Park

No. 6 Penn St. Nittany Lions vs. No. 11 Dayton, Sat., 11 am in University Park

No. 3 DePaul vs. No. 14 Navy, Sat., 1:30 in University Park

No. 7 Iowa St. Cyclones vs. No. 10 Marist, Sat., 11 am in Durham

No. 2 Duke Blue Devils vs. No. 15 Tennessee-Martin, Sat., 1:30 in Durham

Dayton Region

No. 1 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 16 Stetson, Sat.,11 am, Knoxville

No. 8 Marquette Golden Eagles vs. No. 9 Texas Longhorns, Sat., 1:30, Knoxville

No. 5 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. No. 12 Bowling Green, Sat.,11 am, Columbus

No. 4 Ohio St. Buckeyes vs. No. 13 UCF, Sat., 1:30, Columbus

No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 11 James Madison, Sun., 2:30, Charlottesville

No. 3 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 14 Gardner-Webb, Sun, noon, Charlottesville

No. 7 Arizona St. Sun Devils vs. No. 10 Temple Owls, Sat., 4, Salt Lake City

No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. No. 15 Utah Utes, Sat., 6:30, Salt Lake City

Right Bracket

Dallas Region

No. 1 Baylor Bears vs. No. 16 Prairie View, Sun., 7:30 in Waco

No. 8 Houston Cougars vs. No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers, Sun., 5 in Waco

No. 5 Green Bay vs. No. 12 Arkansas-Little Rock, Sun., 5 in Wichita

No. 4 Michigan St. Spartans vs. No. 13 Northern Iowa, Sun., 7:30 in Wichita

No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 11 MTSU, Sun., 7:30 in Auburn

No. 3 Florida St. Seminoles vs. No. 14 Samford, Sun., 5 in Auburn

No. 7 Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs. No. 10 Louisiana Tech, Sun., 7:30 in Shreveport

No. 2 Texas A&M Aggies vs. No. 15 McNeese State, Sun., 5 in Shreveport

Spokane Region

No. 1 Stanford Cardinal vs. No. 16 UC-Davis, Sat., 6:30 in Stanford

No. 8 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. No. 9 St. John's Red Storm, Sat., 4 in Stanford

No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 12 Fresno State, Sat., 4 in Albuquerque

No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats vs. No. 13 Hampton, Sat., 6:30 in Albuquerque

No. 6 Iowa Hawkeyes vs. No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs, Sat., 4 in Spokane

No. 3 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 14 Montana, Sat., 6:30, in Spokane

No. 7 Louisville Cardinals vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores, Sun., noon, Cincinnati

No. 2 Xavier Musketeers vs. No. 15 South Dakota State, Sun., 2:30, Cincinnati

The Maryland Terrapins received a No. 4 seed in the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament and will face the No. 13 St. Francis (PA) Red Flash Sunday in the first round of the Philadelphia Region. The Terps won't have to pack at all since their first round game is at home in College Park, Maryland. The game will be televised on ESPN2 at 12:20 p.m..

The Terps ended their regular season on a low note with an opening round loss to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the ACC Tournament. These Terps, in contrast to their male counterparts, beat Duke this season and have a 23-7 overall record to boast as well.

St. Francis, located in Loretto, Pennsylvania, won the Northeast Tournament and are in the tournament for the 11th time in 15 years. Brittany Lilley had a double-double of 19 points and 10 assists in the championship game win.

If both Maryland and Georgetown advance, it will set up a local matchup between the Terps and the Hoyas.

The Georgetown Hoyas have received a No. 5 seed in the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament and will face the No.12 Princeton Tigers Sunday in the first round of the Philadelphia Region. The Hoyas won't have to travel very far for their 2:30 p.m. game as they will play in the Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Hoyas, like their male counterparts, limped into the tournament, losing five of their last seven games. Despite that, a 22-10 overall record and a 9-7 Big East record should prove to be a formidable resume. Several matchups with No. 1 overall seed and defending champion Connecticut has given the Hoyas plenty of tests for the upcoming tournament.

Princeton earned their berth in the tournament with an Ivy League title. The Tigers blew away their competition, clinching the title with one game to go and winning their final game by a staggering 78-27 score over Penn.

The Navy Midshipmen have received a No. 14 seed and will face No. 3 DePaul in the first round of the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament. These two teams, a part of the Philadelphia Region, will meet in University Park, Pennsylvania, Saturday at 1:30 p.m.. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

Navy earned its bid to the tournament with a win in the Patriot League Tournament over fellow locals American. The Midshipmen finished the season with a 20-11 overall record and a 10-4 record in the Patriot League to earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.

DePaul will be a tough test for an inexperienced Navy team. The Blue Demons finished with a 27-6 overall record and a 13-3 record in a tough Big East.

The Hampton Pirates have received a No. 13 seed in the Spokane Region and will face the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats in the first round of the 2011 Women's NCAA Tournament Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

The Pirates qualified for the tournament by winning the MEAC Tournament with a win over Howard. It was Hampton's second-straight conference championship and they lost only one conference game during the regular season.

Kentucky, on the other hand, was arguably the SEC's second-best team behind perennial favorite Tennessee. The Wildcats enter the tournament with an at-large bid with a 24-8 record overall and 11-5 in the SEC.

Hampton will have to find a way to stop Kentucky's leading scorer, Victoria Dunlap, who ESPN called one of the country's most versatile players.

The James Madison Dukes have received a No. 11 seed in the Women's NCAA Tournament and will play No. 6 Oklahoma in the Dayton Region.

The Dukes and Sooners will meet Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Charlottesville, Virginia. The game will be televised on ESPN2.

James Madison won the CAA Tournament for the second consecutive season and for the sixth overall. That is the second most in CAA history behind Old Dominion's 17. They enter the tournament with a 26-7 record.

CAA Player of the Year Dawn Evans will lead the Dukes against the Sooners, who earned an at-large bid out of the Big 12 conference. The Sooners finished the season with a 21-11 record overall and a 10-6 conference record. They would lose in the Big 12 semifinals against Texas A&M.