MTSU women's basketball coach Rick Insell: 'We will be back' after March Madness loss to LSU
The disastrous second half of Middle Tennessee State's 83-56 loss to LSU in the Women's NCAA Tournament Albany 2 Regional Sunday left the players and coach Rick Insell stunned.
But Insell pointed out that the loss, and the way things snowballed on MTSU in the half, don't overshadow its season, arguably the best in the 19 years he has been at the helm, if not program history.
"It will be tough playing without (exiting players)," he said. "But we've got a good group coming back and some good recruits. We'll be back."
MTSU's 30 wins tied a program record, held by the 2007 squad that had been the last to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament before this season.
This was Insell's 12th NCAA tournament team, and he has taken six teams to the WNIT. The only season MTSU did not reach either tournament was in 2019-20, when COVID-19 shut down the postseason. MTSU was 21-9 when the season ended.
No. 11 seed MTSU (30-5) was seeking its second consecutive upset win in the tournament and first trip to the Sweet 16, building a 36-32 halftime lead that grew to 41-32 with 8:46 left in the third quarter.
Third-seeded LSU (30-5) then started rolling, and foul trouble mounted for MTSU, which ultimately had three starters foul out (including 6-foot-6 center Anastasiia Boldyreva with a minute left in the third quarter). The Tigers went on a 39-8 run during the third and fourth quarters to run away with the game.
"I would say normally, going back to the season, we would have a slow start in the first quarter compared to the second half," said MTSU fifth-year guard Savannah Wheeler, who led the team with 21 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists. "Today it flipped. In the first half some of us did hit some shots. In the second half it just kind of went downhill. Just mental mistakes in the second half."
Insell didn't dwell on the poor finish when talking to players after the game.
"Just proud of them, very proud," Insell said when asked what he told them. "Don't let this define you. Don't let this define this year, this team."
MTSU women's basketball will have to replace star veterans
MTSU reached the NCAA tournament in three of Courtney Whitson's five seasons.
The team will have to replace not only Whitson — the second player in program history to collect 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds — but also Conference USA Player of the Year Savanna Wheeler, who scored 2,361 points in her five-year career between Marshall and MTSU.
"This is the platform that you work for," an emotional Whitson said of MTSU's tournament run. "I get to represent my faith, represent my community and represent that man (Insell). To think this is the last time I put on this jersey stings. It was a long journey but I’m thankful for it. All players that came before me laid the foundation. It's been an amazing bus journey."
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"It's been a lot of highs and lows, but by golly I'm very thankful for those highs and lows, for sure," Wheeler said. "I've just been very fortunate and blessed to be here and just to play with a great group of girls and coaches. And hitting that (transfer) portal was the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't regret any of that."
MTSU is expected to return three starters, all of whom averaged double figures in scoring this season, including junior center Anastasiia Boldyreva, junior guard Jalynn Gregory and sophomore guard Ta'Mia Scott. Center Iullia Grabovskaia, the top bench player, is also expected to return.
The Lady Raiders also should have redshirt freshman Jada Harrison, who missed the season with an injury, after she was projected to log valuable minutes this season.
"I think I've said this all along . . . in the last 10 years or 15 years, our program has been one of the top 30 in the country," Insell said. "No ifs, ands or buts."
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: March Madness loss to LSU leaves MTSU women's basketball eyeing future
