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St Louis University newspaper article on their selection
Julia Martinez dived head first into a group of chairs while chasing after a loose ball during a late Sunday afternoon practice session.
The senior guard for the St. Louis University women’s basketball team was motionless on the court for a few agonizing seconds.
“My heart just stopped,” SLU coach Rebecca Tillett said.
Martinez popped right up with an ear-to-ear smile.
“I’m OK, let’s keep going,” Martinez told her coach and shocked teammates.
The Billikens standout has only one gear — all out.
Hours after throwing a scare into everyone, Martinez and her teammates learned they had garnered the No. 13 seed in the Seattle 3 Regional of the NCAA Tournament and will face tradition-rich and fourth-seeded Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville at a time to be announced.
It is St. Louis University’s first NCAA tourney berth in the 48-year history of the program. And the Billikens (17-17) don’t intend on stopping now, even with one of the historical marquee schools standing in their way.
A look at the game preview for Memphis @ Houston on SUN, MAR 12 - 03:15 PM EST. You can count on us for everything you need to know about the 2021 NCAA season. Your source for scores, previews, recaps, box scores, and more from every NCAA college basketball game. The schedule is set, and we're ready for some college basketball.
“I’m really, really excited about the seed and playing in such a historic place,” Tillett said. “The history of women’s basketball lives there. This is such a great opportunity for us.”
Tennessee has won eight national titles, the last in 2009.
“It’s an exciting matchup,” Martinez said. “They might underestimate us. But we’re going to come out there and be fired up.”
The Billikens had been projected to be a 14th or 15th seed. The No. 13 ranking delighted senior forward Brooke Flowers.
“It is surprising, but we can take it as a sign of respect,” said the 6-foot-5-inch Flowers, who attended Metro High in St. Louis. “When you think about college basketball, you think about Tennessee and their historic gym.
“I think it’s going to be so cool to play in that environment.”
The Billikens have won 11 of their last 12 games after a 6-16 start to the campaign.
They capped the about-face with a 91-85 overtime win over Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championship game, on March 5, to clinch the historic NCAA berth.
“We deserve the respect that we got,” said freshman forward Mia Nicastro, who attended St. Charles West High. “Everybody saw how we played in the (conference) tournament and they know we’re a dangerous team despite having a .500 record.”
Martinez recorded the second triple double in the history of the program in Atlantic 10 title tilt with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Billikens’ road to the field of 68 was a hard one. They began the preseason with a 78-70 exhibition to Maryville and lost six in a row and stood at 1-7 after a 78-68 setback to Belmont on Nov. 26.
An NCAA Tournament berth appeared to be out of question as December began. But this group rallied over the last two months of the season and enters tournament play brimming with confidence.
Tillett said the light bulb came on in a 77-74 loss to Wichita State in which her team rallied from an 27-point second-half deficit to make a late run. Then came an impressive win over Fordham.
This group has been unstoppable ever since.
“Everyone took a step up and we just started clicking together,” Martinez said. “We hit a spot and said, ‘We’re just going to stop losing.’ “
Flowers agreed, “We set a standard and starting rising and elevating that standard.”
Fifth-seeded Iowa State and 12th-seeded Toledo meet in the other side of the bracket at Knoxville. The SLU-Tennessee winner will meet that winner on Monday.
Senior Kyla McMakin leads the SLU attack averaging 17.4 points per game game. She has tallied a school record 591 points this season to eclipse the old mark of 574 set by Theresa Lisch in 2009.
“We’re a hot team at this moment,” Martinez said.
Added Flowers, who is averaging 12 points per game, “We have nothing to lose. We’re just excited for the opportunity.”
Julia Martinez dived head first into a group of chairs while chasing after a loose ball during a late Sunday afternoon practice session.
The senior guard for the St. Louis University women’s basketball team was motionless on the court for a few agonizing seconds.
“My heart just stopped,” SLU coach Rebecca Tillett said.
Martinez popped right up with an ear-to-ear smile.
“I’m OK, let’s keep going,” Martinez told her coach and shocked teammates.
The Billikens standout has only one gear — all out.
Hours after throwing a scare into everyone, Martinez and her teammates learned they had garnered the No. 13 seed in the Seattle 3 Regional of the NCAA Tournament and will face tradition-rich and fourth-seeded Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville at a time to be announced.
It is St. Louis University’s first NCAA tourney berth in the 48-year history of the program. And the Billikens (17-17) don’t intend on stopping now, even with one of the historical marquee schools standing in their way.
A look at the game preview for Memphis @ Houston on SUN, MAR 12 - 03:15 PM EST. You can count on us for everything you need to know about the 2021 NCAA season. Your source for scores, previews, recaps, box scores, and more from every NCAA college basketball game. The schedule is set, and we're ready for some college basketball.
“I’m really, really excited about the seed and playing in such a historic place,” Tillett said. “The history of women’s basketball lives there. This is such a great opportunity for us.”
Tennessee has won eight national titles, the last in 2009.
“It’s an exciting matchup,” Martinez said. “They might underestimate us. But we’re going to come out there and be fired up.”
The Billikens had been projected to be a 14th or 15th seed. The No. 13 ranking delighted senior forward Brooke Flowers.
“It is surprising, but we can take it as a sign of respect,” said the 6-foot-5-inch Flowers, who attended Metro High in St. Louis. “When you think about college basketball, you think about Tennessee and their historic gym.
“I think it’s going to be so cool to play in that environment.”
The Billikens have won 11 of their last 12 games after a 6-16 start to the campaign.
They capped the about-face with a 91-85 overtime win over Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament championship game, on March 5, to clinch the historic NCAA berth.
“We deserve the respect that we got,” said freshman forward Mia Nicastro, who attended St. Charles West High. “Everybody saw how we played in the (conference) tournament and they know we’re a dangerous team despite having a .500 record.”
Martinez recorded the second triple double in the history of the program in Atlantic 10 title tilt with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists.
The Billikens’ road to the field of 68 was a hard one. They began the preseason with a 78-70 exhibition to Maryville and lost six in a row and stood at 1-7 after a 78-68 setback to Belmont on Nov. 26.
An NCAA Tournament berth appeared to be out of question as December began. But this group rallied over the last two months of the season and enters tournament play brimming with confidence.
Tillett said the light bulb came on in a 77-74 loss to Wichita State in which her team rallied from an 27-point second-half deficit to make a late run. Then came an impressive win over Fordham.
This group has been unstoppable ever since.
“Everyone took a step up and we just started clicking together,” Martinez said. “We hit a spot and said, ‘We’re just going to stop losing.’ “
Flowers agreed, “We set a standard and starting rising and elevating that standard.”
Fifth-seeded Iowa State and 12th-seeded Toledo meet in the other side of the bracket at Knoxville. The SLU-Tennessee winner will meet that winner on Monday.
Senior Kyla McMakin leads the SLU attack averaging 17.4 points per game game. She has tallied a school record 591 points this season to eclipse the old mark of 574 set by Theresa Lisch in 2009.
“We’re a hot team at this moment,” Martinez said.
Added Flowers, who is averaging 12 points per game, “We have nothing to lose. We’re just excited for the opportunity.”
