The Hornets, it appeared, were the team to beat in 1998. After their 122-84 opening-round blowout win over Shippensburg, Pa., the Hornets' swagger didn't go unnoticed.
The swagger, however, disappeared after UND trounced the high-scoring Hornets 92-76 in the championship game.
But the Hornets have returned to this year's Elite Eight, which opens today at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Emporia may appreciate this trip more.
"Last year's team had zero adversity," said Bob Schneider, Emporia's first-year coach. "We didn't have any injuries, and we didn't have any close games.
"Then we played North Dakota in the final and got behind for the first time all year."
It hasn't been easy for Emporia since its loss to UND. "This year, we've lost games, we've been behind and we've had injury problems. We've been through adversity, and that's helped this team build more character."
The Hornets haven't changed much from last season. They lead the nation in scoring (91.4 ppg) and want to run teams off the floor with their transition game.
Emporia plays Bentley (Mass.) College in the opening round, a game that will offer a contrast in styles. Bentley prefers a slower tempo.
"I'm sure we're the smallest team in the tournament," Schneider said. "Our philosophy has been to keep teams out of the half-court game all year. We don't have the size or strength to keep players out of the low-post area."
Another trip for Bentley
UND and North Dakota State have dominated the Elite Eight in the 1990s, combining to win the last six Division II national titles and seven of the past eight.
However, few teams can match Bentley (Mass) College for Elite Eight appearances.
The Falcons are making their fourth straight Elite Eight appearance and eighth since 1989. Overall, Bentley has a record 17 national-tournament appearances.
And no one is more upset about Bentley's Elite Eight showings than the College of St. Rose, located in New York.
St. Rose has been an NCAA Division II power for the past few years, but it can't make it out of the Northeast Region. Bentley has beaten St. Rose in the regional final in three of the past four seasons.
"They've just about had it with us," Bentley coach Barbara Stevens said.
St. Rose plays in a weak conference. Its weak schedule, Stevens said, is a factor when St. Rose plays Bentley and Stonehill, Mass., in regional competition.
Can any team
match UND's scorers?
Matt Schmidt, UND's associate sports information director, posed an interesting question to his Division II colleagues.
Is there any team in NCAA Division II that has four 1,000-point scorers on its roster?
UND does have four 1,000-point scorers: Jenny Crouse (2,225), Kami Winger (1,234), Jaime Pudenz (1,189) and Katie Richards (1,017).
Schmidt hasn't received any responses from his e-mail question. The chance of another team having four players with those credentials isn't likely.
They have a prayer
Northern Kentucky has won 21 straight games since senior center Shannon Smith began saying an on-the-court prayer before each Norse game.
Coach Nancy Winstel says she used to offer a prayer but decided to pass it around to players. When the team lost, somebody new would be called on to say the prayer.
When Smith missed a road trip while rehabilitating a knee, she taped the message for her teammates.
"It's a symbol of unity," Winstel said.
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