The UTSA Roadrunners, under Coach Karen Aston, must win four games in four days to win the American Conference postseason title. Their quest begins today in Birmingham, Ala., against the Temple Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The American Conference women’s basketball tournament once was ruled by the University of Connecticut Huskies.
Starting in the spring of 2014, the first year of the league, Geno Auriemma’s Huskies entered as the No. 1 seed every year and won it seven years in a row.
The streak ended only when Auriemma and the Huskies took up residence in the new Big East for the 2020-21 season.
No. 1 seeds won the American postseason crown again in 2021 and 2022 with the South Florida Bulls and the UCF Knights, respectively, taking the automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
But since then, the American’s postseason event has evolved into a week filled with surprises.
In the past two years, with the influx of former teams out of Conference USA, it’s been absolutely nuts.
Both years, the finals have featured at least one team that has played its fourth game in four days.
Guard Ereauna Hardaway says UTSA (14-15, 9-9) has the ‘perfect seed’ at No. 6 going into the tournament. – File photo by Joe Alexander
Even with a format change this year giving the top two teams a two-game route to the title, everyone who has ever watched basketball at this time of year knows that anyone can still win it.
Even the sixth-seeded Roadrunners, who open what they hope is a four games in four days ride today against the No. 7 Temple Owls in Birmingham.
Asked if the tournament’s recent history makes her feel more encouraged or optimistic, UTSA coach Karen Aston said she feels that way, anyway.
“Well, I’m encouraged just because I think our mindset is good,” she said. “You know, we got here late (Monday) afternoon and had a good workout. Seemed to be in a really good frame of mind.
“So I have a real positive mindset.”
Two years ago, the Rice Owls, as the No. 10 seed, came roaring through Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, winning four in four days.
As the all top seeds were knocked off, they sauntered into the finals and beat the No. 9 seed East Carolina Pirates.
Last year, the tournament was a heartbreak for the Roadrunners.
As the No. 1 seed, they had a three games in three days route to the title and dropped their first game, falling to ninth-seeded Rice in the quarterfinals.
In the finals, No. 3 South Florida beat Rice.
This year, the calculus is altered with No. 1 Rice and No. 2 East Carolina opening in Friday’s semifinals, needing only to win two in two days to gain the NCAA automatic bid.
Aston said that “everyone thinks” this year is set up for the No. 1 or the No. 2 to win it all.
But as recent history has proven, it only takes one game for a shocking result to crater the bracket.
“An obvious challenge would be if you had to win five,” Aston said. “I think that would probably seem pretty daunting.
“But the fact that we were able to get the bye and get up here and get settled, you know, I think anybody that’s competitive at all (thinks they have a chance).”
UTSA senior Ereauna Hardaway said she likes UTSA’s seeding in that a team that is ready to play can find its groove in the tournament’s early stages.
“To me, in my opinion, it’s better to get the first-round bye and get to play for four days, instead of having to wait all the way until Friday,” she said. “I think we could get a good rhythm. You get your jitters out the first day.
Coach Diane Richardson leads the Temple Owls (15-16) into today’s second-round game against UTSA. – File photo by Joe Alexander
“So I think we’re in a perfect seed.”
It also helps that the Roadrunners have some late momentum.
Even though they have lost four of their last eight, they have won two of their last three, including a victory over the No. 1 Rice Owls last Saturday in Houston.
The question might be whether the Roadrunners can sustain effort for four days in a row.
“Definitely the biggest challenge is taking care of our bodies,” UTSA senior forward Cheyenne Rowe said. “So that’s we’ll have to do in between games, in between days … Definitely go over the scout. At the same time, we’ve played these teams before.
“We know who they are. We just have to play our game. Play the way we play and play for each other.”
Hardaway has played in the last two tournaments for the North Texas Mean Green.
Even though the site of the event has shifted from Fort Worth to Birmingham and the bracket has been altered, it all boils down to which team is best prepared.
“I would just say, everyone has to come to play,” Hardaway said. “Any team can win. You know, even the lowest seed.
“Like, if you watch March Madness, you always usually see (someone) knock out a big team.
“Everybody has to be ready to come to play, because you never know what can happen, because, nobody wants it to be the last game of their season.”
American Conference
Women’s basketball tournament
At Birmingham, Ala.
Tuesday
Game 1 — (9) FAU defeats (8) Charlotte, 74-70, in overtime.
Game 2 — (7) Temple defeats (10) Tulane, 86-77, in overtime.
Wednesday
Game 3 — (9) FAU vs. (5) North Texas, noon
Game 4 — (7) Temple vs. (6) UTSA, 2:30 p.m.
Thursday
Game 5 — Game 3 winner vs. (4) Tulsa, noon
Game 6 — Game 4 winner vs. (3) South Florida, 2:30 p.m.
Friday
Game 7 — Game 5 winner vs. (1) Rice, 6 p.m.
Game 8 — Game 6 winner vs. (2) East Carolina, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday
Game 9 (championship) — Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 8:30 p.m.
Records
(1) Rice 27-4, 17-1
(2) East Carolina 22-9, 14-4
(3) South Florida 20-11, 13-5
(4) Tulsa 19-11, 11-7
(5) North Texas 17-13, 11-7
(6) UTSA 14-15, 9-9
(7) Temple 15-16, 8-10
(8) Charlotte 14-18, 8-10
(9) FAU 14-17, 7-11
(10) Tulane 11-20, 6-12
San Antonio’s Hailey Adams has emerged as one of the key players for the top-seeded Rice Owls, who will open play in the tournament on Friday needing just two wins for the title. – File photo by Joe Alexander
