As the inevitable march toward madness continues, visions of brackets and Cinderella stories ooze from every media portal. This is for good reason, as the NCAA tournament guarantees some of the most competitive, heart-stopping and buzzer-beating action of the sports calendar.
But all in due time. While the Dance promises its fair share of action - as this season's top 10 boast perhaps the most talented and explosive group of ballers in years (case in point: Maryland's 98-95 OT win over top-ranked UNC, snapping the Tar Heels' 30-game home winning streak) - take a minute to glance around the country and soak up some of the stories below the fold.
Mid-major Div. I, II and III teams are making headlines and breaking records all across the nation, and while next week's Inside Women's College Basketball will give in to the bracket banter and matchup breakdowns, this week provides a
roundup of some of the trendsetters and record-breakers quietly bringing it under the radar.
The Road to 50: Washburn College, the top-ranked Div. II women's basketball program in the nation, got its 43rd consecutive win on Saturday, trouncing Southwest Baptist 84-47. The run is the second-longest in Div. II history, six behind the 49 straight victories of the University of North Dakota from February of 1994 to December of 1995.
The defending Div. II national champs will look for number 44 tonight against No. 3 Emporia State at home. The Lady Blues have won their last 34 games in Lee Arena, dating back to January of 2004 - but that loss, a 78-76 overtime heartbreaker, came to none other than the Lady Hornets of Emporia State.
With four starters averaging in double-digit points, the Lady Blues boast two players in the top 50 in national scoring, including No. 2 scorer guard Jennifer Harris, who pours in almost 25 points per game. Washburn also boasts the No. 5 scoring offense in the division (83.9 ppg), the second-largest scoring margin (28.5 ppg), the highest field goal percentage (44.8), and are one of only three undefeated teams in Div. II.
The Other Huskies: Tucked away in the boonies of northern New England, the University of Southern Maine has quietly put together one of the best Div. III seasons in years. A set starting rotation of veterans - the starting five has been identical for every game this season and all five average over twenty minutes on the floor - has carried USM to a perfect 22-0 and a No. 1 Div. III ranking.
A little north and a lot smaller than their UConn namesakes, these Huskies are talented, experienced and seasoned; the four seniors and one junior that form the team's starting five and explosive core have been to the Sweet Sixteen in each of their seasons, making it to the Div. III Final Four last season and winning the third-place consolation game. The Huskies boast the largest margin of victory in Div. III, outscoring opponents by an average of 27 points per night. The 2005-2006 USM squad might be the one to bring home the third NCAA title in the program's history, and its first since the 1999-2000 season.
The Mighty Ducks: Div. III Stephens Institute of Technology pulled off the undisputed upset of the week on Saturday (yes, even better than Maryland's 98-95 OT win over No. 1 UNC - ranked sixth nationally, the Terps weren't outrageously overmatched) handing Mount Saint Mary its first-ever Skyline Conference loss. The Ducks held on for a 59-56 win over the Blue Knights, the six-time defending league champions, and owners of a 64-game regular-season conference winning streak, the longest active streak in Div. III and second-longest ever.
All Good Things... After breaking the record for consecutive foul shots made, Northwestern College sophomore Deb Remmerde finally faltered at the line. After hitting 133 straight free throws - the longest consecutive streak in organized basketball - Remmerde missed during an NAIA game against Dakota Wesleyan last Wednesday. The previous record of 126 had been set by Daryl Moreau, a high schooler, in 1978-1979. For comparison, the Div. I record is 69.
No worries - the Raiders won the game, 95-66, on a blistering 40 points from Remmerde (her second 40-plus performance in as many games, and third of the season). The former Ms. Iowa Basketball made up for it on Monday's "The Early Show," hitting 256 straight free throws and 582 of 588 during the two-hour taping. The All-American guard is second in the nation in scoring, averaging 31.1 points per night, and still holds the Iowa state record for high school scoring.
Beverly Kills: Last year at this time, Kolbe Cathedral High School senior Erica Beverly was busy taking her team to a state championship, its second straight. After a state championship game MVP and a McDonald's All-American nomination, Beverly found herself as a freshman at Hartford, where she has led the 19-2 Hawks to first place in the America East Conference with an 11-0 league record, scoring 10.9 points per game, shooting 57 percent from the floor, and racking up a record nine AEC Rookie of the Week awards.
Hartford received votes for the top-25 in the most recent polls, and is a heavy favorite to repeat as AEC Champions.
