This is the second day in a row that a BYU basketball team has made it as an at-large team to play in the NCAA tournament. Selection Monday has announced the women’s basketball team ended up as No. 12 seed in the Lincoln Region, matching them with No. 5 seed North Carolina State in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
“We’d like higher, but we’ll take it,” sophomore Lexi Eaton said. “We’re just happy to go dancing.”
BYU is looking forward to the tournament and showing the nation what they are capable of.
“We’re really excited for this opportunity,” head coach Jeff Judkins said. “It’s hard in a small conference to get an at-large bid. It takes a lot of special nights. You have to play a great season the whole year—you can’t have ups and downs. You have to be steady and that’s what this team’s done the whole season. I’m really proud of them for that.”
After a great season finishing 26-6, the women’s team was surely hoping to advance higher in the final seeding and doesn’t seem entirely justified being a part of the field of 64. According to the selection committee, the Cougars were one of the last four teams in the tournament.
“I thought we’d be higher,” Judkins said. “But it doesn’t make any difference. It’s more about who you match up with and what the style of basketball is.”
The last time BYU made it past the West Coast Conference two years ago, they had quite a long wait before the announcement was made determining their continuation to the NCAA tournament. This year the Cougars had it easy and were one of the first teams to be announced.
“I was just really excited not having to wait,” senior Kim Beeston said. “It’s special to say that you’re one of the top 64 teams to get in. We’re going to work hard so we can make some noise in the tournament.”
The game will take place Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MDT in Los Angeles. Judkins mentioned how Beeston performs especially well on Los Angeles turf, after knocking out nine 3-pointers last month at Loyola Marymount.
“She likes to shoot in L.A.” Judkins said. “She likes that air for some reason.”
The winner of the first round contest will then continue on, advancing to play the winner of the Nebraska-Fresno State game.
“But as we talked about it today, we’re not just here for the tournament,”Judkins said. “We want to play our best basketball and represent this university and our conference the best that we can. We have a good opportunity.”
