California eliminates Wichita State women in first round of NCAA Tournament

BERKELEY, Calif. – They believed because every time Jody Adams told them to do something, it had led to success.

They followed her to Wichita State, went through her demanding basketball practices, and believed in what they were doing. Missouri Valley Conference championships followed, and so did NCAA Tournament appearances – both program firsts.

So why would they not believe that this team, the best in program history, would be the one to win the first game in the tournament?

The aftermath of No. 13 Wichita State losing 78-66 to fourth-seeded California on Friday – the third straight time WSU has lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on the opponent’s home court – is what occurs when the dream you believed doesn’t come true.

Heartache.

“Of course it’s disappointment,” WSU senior Alex Harden said. “You have to understand we gave our whole heart out there. We just came up a little short today.”

This team was the best version Adams has produced in her seven years at Wichita State. It has the best player in Harden it may ever have. Its starting five took on the biggest workload and came up with the best results.

To have all of that not be good enough was devastating, even if it took one of the best performances all season from the volatile supporting cast of California. While Wichita State did not play its best on Saturday, the loss was difficult to believe nonetheless.

This was supposed to be the breakthrough, not the end.

“This loss does not define Wichita State’s program or my three seniors,” Adams said. “They have put us on the map and truly are our history. What we’ve done the last three years with these guys is creating history which has never been there.”

The seniors – Harden, Kelsey Jacobs and Jamillah Bonner – were not only the three best players on the team. They all created their own form of leadership.

Michaela Dapprich, who has had three classes of seniors lead her to three straight NCAA Tournaments, confirmed as much.

“Our three seniors are probably the best leaders we’ve ever had,” Dapprich said. “We’ll always remember them for that.”

Unlike last year’s Penn State game, WSU never quite settled into its game. The Shockers played even for the opening 12 minutes, but couldn’t make enough shots to keep pace as California pulled ahead for a 37-27 halftime lead.

These seniors would not let their final performance be lopsided, however. After falling behind by 13 early in the second half, Wichita State reeled off nine straight points to close the gap to 47-43 with 12:54 remaining on a step-back Dapprich three-pointer.

“There’s a reason why they won 29 of the 33 games they played,” California coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “They have young women who get after it and are well-coached.”

Wichita State was good on Friday. What it needed was to reach greatness, which it could not do – at least not for long-enough stretches.

Empty possessions immediately following the run haunted WSU, as California used a 9-0 run of its own to essentially end the Shockers’ season by putting them in a 14-point deficit with 7:47 to play.

Losing in the NCAA Tournament, even as a double-seeded underdog, is growing tiresome to Wichita State and in its own way shows how far the program has come under the three seniors.

“We’re just trying to leave our juniors, sophomores, and freshmen with the tradition and let them know what they need to do to get here and win here,” Harden said. “We’ve had three chances at this and we haven’t won yet. We need to figure out a way to do that.”

Their dream didn’t play out the way they thought it would in California.

That’s something the team, and especially its departing seniors, will wrestle with this summer. The disappointment will linger but someday fade away, leaving the banners and trophies they won as their legacy.

“We built a winning program and not only did we build it, but we maintained it,” Jacobs said. “We’re not satisfied by any means. It just didn’t happen today, but I’m so proud of this team and everything we accomplished. We have a lot to be proud of.”

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 8:51 PM with the headline "California eliminates Wichita State women in first round of NCAA Tournament."