URI women see A-10 championship as the only road to an NCAA tournament bid
Tammi Reiss employs the same approach regardless of stakes.
The University of Rhode Island women will likely need to win this weekend’s Atlantic 10 tournament to punch a ticket to March Madness. The Rams were the sixth team outside the NCAA Tournament field according to the latest edition of ESPN’s Bracketology, which was released Tuesday morning.
As has generally been the case during her three years in Kingston, Reiss was straightforward after Tuesday morning’s practice at the Ryan Center. URI is headed for its 5 p.m. quarterfinal opener against either Saint Joseph’s or Duquesne on Friday, acknowledging where it stands. A potential third meeting with Dayton in Sunday’s championship game — and overcoming the Flyers after being swept home-and-home — is the expectation.
More: URI women fall to Dayton as Flyers win regular-season championship
“We’re out,” Reiss said. “We lost to Dayton twice. They’re not going to put us in the tournament over an SEC or an ACC or a Big Ten team.
“Those leagues are extremely strong and, unfortunately, those teams are beating each other back and forth. Teams that normally dominate and don’t lose are losing to those teams on the bubble.”
Missouri, Gonzaga, Boston College and Northwestern were the expected last four teams in the field as of Tuesday. Florida State, Villanova, DePaul, Mississippi State and Duke all stood between the Rams and Wildcats — those are two ACC programs, two Big East programs and an SEC program. Mid-majors simply don’t offer the same sort of opportunity to bolster a resumé.
URI will take matters into its own hands, already owning a program record for wins at 22-5. The Rams captured 13 straight between a loss at Buffalo on Dec. 5 and a home setback against Dayton on Feb. 16. That included road victories over the seventh-seeded Hawks and 10th-seeded Dukes.
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“The mentality is win or go home,” URI forward Marie-Paule Foppossi said. “We know we can’t mess around. We’ve got to be disciplined and execute the game plan well.”
Saturday’s loss to the Flyers at UD Arena was sealed in the third quarter. URI and Dayton were even at halftime before the hosts made their move, pulling away for a 60-46 victory. The Flyers dominated the third quarter by a 21-5 margin, and the Rams finished just 1-for-10 from the field.
“It’s going to be a new season,” URI forward Emmanuelle Tahane said. “We are ready to battle.”
Dez Elmore starred in a 67-57 win over Duquesne, leading four players in double figures with 19 points. Tahane did a number on Saint Joseph’s in a 58-48 victory, collecting a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. URI would be a considerable favorite against either opponent.
The Rams have a potential semifinal meeting with Massachusetts or Fordham on Saturday if seeds hold. URI swept the Minutewomen this season and seems to possess the frontcourt muscle to deal with forward Sam Breen, the league Player of the Year. UMass is two spots behind the Rams, according to ESPN, as it concerns a potential NCAA bid.
“Every team is going to come for you,” Reiss said. “It’s wide open. Getting our kids mentally prepared for that.
“This isn’t the regular season — you don’t have two days to prep. It is a kill or be killed mentality. We’re really excited.”
PC women head to Big East tourney
Providence’s women also start conference tournament play on Friday.
The Friars meet Georgetown for an 11 a.m. tip at Mohegan Sun Arena. Top seed and de facto host team Connecticut awaits in a noon quarterfinal on Saturday.
March has been good to Providence (11-18) in recent seasons. The Friars have captured at least one conference tournament game in each of the last three editions, including a 49-46 rock fight against the Hoyas in 2019-20. That victory is part of a 6-1 record Providence boasts all-time against Georgetown in league tournament play.
The Friars have dropped four straight and enter as the eighth-seeded team in the field. They split with the Hoyas in a pair of regular season meetings, squeezing out a 66-58 overtime road win Jan. 23. Kylee Sheppard hit for a team-high 21 points and finished 8-for-10 at the foul line.
Sheppard was named to the Big East All-Freshman team in a Thursday announcement. Rhode Island native Janai Crooms was named Honorable Mention.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: URI women's basketball needs A-10 championship to get to March Madness
