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Thru 1/18/12:

East

McNeese, 4-0
UCA, 3-1
Nicholls, 2-2
Lamar, 1-2
Northwestern, 1-3
SELA, 0-3

West

Sam Houston, 3-1
SFA, 2-1
Texas State, 2-1
UTSA, 2-2
TAMCC, 2-2
UTA, 0-4

Thru 2/4/12:

East Division
Central Arkansas 8-1/18-4
McNeese State 7-2/ 17-6
Nicholls State 5-4/12-10
Lamar 3-5/11-11
SE Louisiana 2-6/7-14
Northwestern St 1-8/ 5-17

West Division
Sam Houston St 6-3 /11-9
Stephen F Austin 5-3/ 15-6
Texas State 5-3 /13-8
TX A&M-CC 4-5/8-14
TX-San Antonio 3-5/7-14
TX-Arlington 2-6/4-16

Top games this next week....

Wed-
Texas State at UCA
Sam Houston State at UTA
SFA at Nicholls

Sat-
UCA at McNeese State (McNeese is open on Wed)
TAMCC at Sam Houston State
UTSA at SFA
UTA at Texas State

Got to put Texas State away on Wednesday (hopefully early) and then focus on going into the Twin's den. A win there and then winning out, might even give us a shot at a NCAA Tournament slot even if we loss in the finals of the SLC but these ladies deserve to win the Conference Championship outright. If we can find the defensive key to stopping McNeese State, we would all sleep better.

I would say zero shot of that happening. Not that they don't deserve it, and I would venture to say we've got one of the best 64 teams in the country, but the Southland is a one-bid league. The committee selects largely off RPI, and even winning out the Sugar Bears' RPI wouldn't be high enough to warrant an at-large bid. Four of the wins don't count to the selection committee, so even winning out puts us at 21-4 which is awesome and an incredible season, but not as good as a 16-13 season in the SEC in the eyes of those who put the tournament together. So goes life on the 'other' side of Division I.

I do think, though, that if the Sugar Bears aren't fortunate enough to follow up their Southland regular-season championship with a tournament championship and a spot in the NCAAs, that the WNIT looks like a real strong possibility. That'd be a pretty bigtime accomplishment for a Southland team, especially just in its 2nd full year of D-I. To make postseason both years is quite incredible.

All that's putting the cart before the horse, though. Lot of basketball between now and then ... but hopefully it involves two good halves in the same game more times than not. It's quite a rollercoaster ride they've been on the last six games – five halftime deficits overcome and the one time they led was against the 2nd best team in the league and that one went double overtime.

Pretty incredible team we've got assembled. I don't know if I've ever watched a team – men or women, boys or girls, at any level – win so many games in one stretch in the same dramatic fashion. It's great they have the resolve and confidence to keep coming back – even in the most improbable scenarios like today at Arlington. At the same time, it's maddening that they can't come out and slap somebody around from the get-go.

But hey, it's conference season and every win in conference play is precious, no matter how you get 'em. Hopefully we've got about seven more to look forward to. Then on to Katy for a few more.

How is it that McNeese always seems to have the Wednesday off before playing us? I want whoever makes their schedule to make ours...

yep!

I don't know fellas. Sometimes a week's layoff in basketball can also make you a little rusty. If you're on a streak it might just be better to keep on schedule. Then again, maybe not.

I think you always want to be in a regular flow.....it is more the travel to LC than McNeese having a open date before we come to town....

Updated standings after tonight:

East Division


Central Arkansas 9-1 /19-4
McNeese State 7-2 /17-6
Nicholls State 6-4 /13-10
Lamar 4-5 /12-11
SE Louisiana 3-6/ 8-14
Northwestern St 1-9 / 5-18

West Division

Sam Houston St 7-3 /12 -9
Stephen F Austin 5-4 /15-7
Texas State 5-4 /13-9
TX A&M-CC 4-5 /8-14
TX-San Antonio 3-6 / 7-15
TX-Arlington 2-7 /4-17

Upset...Nicholls beats SFA by 64-63 on the road....