It has been a March to remember for the Belmont Bruins women’s basketball team.
On Saturday, the No. 12-seed Bruins became just the second team in NCAA Tournament history to win a game in consecutive seasons as a 12-seed or lower by knocking off No. 5 Oregon 73-70 in double overtime.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm~? |@?52J ?:89E[ E96 qCF:?D G6CJ ?62C=J AF==65 @77 2? FAD6E 7@C E96 286D] $66<:?8 E96 AC@8C2>’D 7:CDE\6G6C $H66E `e 2AA62C2?46[ q6=>@?E Wab\gX 76== ;FDE D9@CE 2D E96 }@] c\D665 %6??6DD66 Wad\gX AC6G2:=65 f_\ef 2E %9@>AD@?\q@=:?8 pC6?2 :? z?@IG:==6] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x 42?VE 36 >@C6 AC@F5 @7 2 8C@FA E92? x 2> @7 @FC 8C@FA[” q6=>@?E 9625 4@249 q2CE qC@@<D D2:5] “xVG6 8@E E96 36DE ;@3 :? E96 H@C=5 H@C<:?8 7@C E96 8C62E6DE A6@A=6 :? E96 H@C=5[ E96 8C62E6DE F?:G6CD:EJ :? E96 H@C=5] x DE:== A:?49 >JD6=7 H96? x H2=< 24C@DD 42>AFD 2?5 D2J x 86E E@ H@C< 96C6 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“%96 36DE A2CE @7 :E :D E96 A6@A=6 x 86E E@ H@C< H:E9[ 2?5 E96D6 J@F?8 =25:6D[ xVG6 E@=5 E96>[ E9:D 92D 366? 2 92C5 J62C] %9:D 92D 366? 2? 6I92FDE:?8 J62C] qFE[ >2?[ :E 92D 366? 7F? E@ 4@249 E9:D 8C@FA[ 2?5 :E 362ED H@C<:?8 7@C 2 =:G:?8[ E92EVD 7@C DFC6] qFE x 42?VE 36 >@C6 AC@F5 @7 E96 677@CE]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmxE =@@<65 =:<6 E96 5C62> H2D @FE @7 C6249 62C=J @? 2D E96 {25J '@=D =65 3J 2D >2?J 2D `c :? E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C] qFE E96 qCF:?D — =65 3J E6CC:7:4 A6C7@C>2?46D 7C@> 2 EC:@ @7 D@A9@>@C6D :? s6DE:?66 (6==D[ %FE: y@?6D 2?5 |25:D@? q2CE=6J — 49:AA65 2H2J 2E E96 %6??6DD66 =625]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmq6=>@?E H2D ?64<\2?5\?64< H:E9 E96:C :?\DE2E6 7@6D 7@C E96 6?E:C6EJ @7 E96 7@FCE9 BF2CE6C] %96 qCF:?D H6C6 H:E9DE2?5:?8 %6??6DD66’D 36DE D9@E :? 7C@?E @7 2? 2>A65 FA @C2?86\2?5\H9:E6 4C@H5[ 6G6? >2?28:?8 E@ C6\E2<6 E96 =625 ee\ec H:E9 aiaa =67E :? E96 82>6] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmq6=>@?E 96=5 @?E@ E96 =625 F?E:= %6??6DD66VD $2C2 !F4<6EE 5C2:?65 2 E9C66\A@:?E6C H:E9 `g D64@?5D C6>2:?:?8 E@ AFE E96 {25J '@=D 29625 ef\ee]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp A2:C @7 7C66 E9C@HD 7C@> %2>2C: z6J <6AE %6??6DD66 :? E96 =625 2E eh\ee H:E9 ?:?6 D64@?5D =67E :? E96 4@?E6DE] x?DE625 @7 2==@H:?8 E96 DH66E\D9@@E:?8 qCF:?D E96 492?46 2E 2 82>6\EJ:?8 b\A@:?E6C 2?5 2? :?DE2?E 4=2DD:4 |2C49 |25?6DD >@>6?E[ E96 {25J '@=D @AE65 E@ 7@F= s6DE:?66 (6==D H:E9 7@FC D64@?5D =67E]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(6==D >256 E96 7:CDE 7C66 E9C@H[ E96? >:DD65 E96 D64@?5 @? AFCA@D6 E@ 8:G6 q6=>@?E 2?@E96C 492?46 2E EJ:?8[ @C H:??:?8[ E96 82>6] w@H6G6C[ z6J 8C23365 E96 C63@F?5[ E96 qCF:?D 7@F=65[ 2?5 z6J DA=:E 2 A2:C @7 7C66 E9C@HD E@ 46>6?E E96 7:?2= D4@C6 @7 f_\ef] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(6==D’ A@E6?E:2= 82>6\EJ:?8 D9@E ;FDE >:DD65 2E E96 3FKK6C[ D6?5:?8 %6??6DD66 E@ E96 $H66E `e 7@C E96 bdE9 E:>6 :? AC@8C2> 9:DE@CJ H96C6 E96J H:== 7246 }@] ` {@F:DG:==6] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x 766= 7@C 2== @7 E96>[” qC@@<D D2:5] “%96JVC6 2== 9FCE:?8 C62==J 325 C:89E ?@H 3642FD6 E96JVC6 4@>A6E:E@CD[ 2?5 x E9:?< 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ H2E4965 E96 82>6 F?56CDE2?5D 9@H 4@>A6E:E:G6 2?5 E@F89 E9:D 8C@FA :D]” k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm(6==D 7:?:D965 H:E9 2 82>6\9:89 aa A@:?ED E@ 8@ 2=@?8 H:E9 D:I C63@F?5D[ 7@FC 2DD:DED 2?5 EH@ DE62=D] y@?6D 925 2 ?62C=J :56?E:42= =:?6 @7 `f A@:?ED[ D:I C63@F?5D[ 7@FC 2DD:DED 2?5 EH@ DE62=D] q2CE=6J 25565 `e A@:?ED[ D:I C63@F?5D 2?5 EH@ 3=@4<D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 EC:@ 4@>3:?65 7@C dd @7 q6=>@?E’D ef A@:?ED] %96 7FEFC6 :D 3C:89E 2E E96 rFC3 tG6?E r6?E6C D9@F=5 2== E9C66 C6>2:? H:E9 E96 E62>] k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x H@F=5 567:?:E6=J D2J H6VC6 8@:?8 E@ =62G6 96C6 H:E9 @FC 9625D 9:89[” y@?6D D2:5] “{:<6 q2CE D2:5[ :EVD 366? 2 =@?8 D62D@?] (6VG6 8C@H? D@ >F49 E@86E96C] (6VG6 8C@H? 2 =@E 2D 2 E62>] xE H2D E@F89 =@D:?8[ @7 4@FCD6[ 3FE H6VC6 567:?:E6=J 8@:?8 E@ =62G6 H:E9 @FC 9625D 9:89] (6VC6 D@ AC@F5 @7 6249 @E96C]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQm“x? >J @A:?:@?[ x AC@G65 E92E H6 42? <66A FA H:E9 2?J3@5J[ 2?5 E92EVD ;FDE A=2:? 2?5 D:>A=6[” q2CE=6J 25565] “(6 D9@H65 6G6CJ3@5J H92E H6 4@F=5 5@] (6 5:5?VE 4@>6 FA H:E9 E96 H:?[ 3FE 36:?8 E92E 4=@D6 H:E9 %6??6DD66 :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E H6 D9@F=5 36 C62==J AC@F5 @7 2?5 D@>6E9:?8 E92E E96 H@C=5 D9@F=5 =@@< @FE 7@C ?6IE J62C]”k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQmp=6IFD sJ6 A2465 %6??6DD66 H:E9 2 a_\A@:?E[ ``\C63@F?5 5@F3=6\5@F3=6] z6J W`g A@:?EDX 2?5 $2C2 !F4<6EE W`aX 2=D@ D4@C65 :? 5@F3=6\7:8FC6D 7@C E96 {25J '@=D]k^Am

