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March 14, 2010

Hugh Conrad | Flash complete Improbable Odyssey

By HUGH CONRAD The Tribune-Democrat Sun Mar 14, 2010, 11:09 PM EDT

The Red Flash live to dance again – for the 10th time.

However, this 2010 St. Francis University women’s team has taken a rather circuitous route to the title, one that can be called an Improbable Odyssey.

St. Francis earned a spot in the NCAA women’s tournament for the 10th time by defeating second-seeded Long Island University 77-68 on Sunday in the championship of the Northeast Conference tournament.

That win provides an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The Red Flash will learn their opponent tonight when the brackets are announced on ESPN at 7 p.m.

Senior Britney Hodges

again led the Red Flash with

23 points, earning a spot in the Big Dance in her last opportunity to reach it. Junior Samantha Leech added 20 points.

What makes this trip improbable? First, the Red Flash were the fifth seed out of eight entering the NEC tournament. No fifth seed has ever captured the NEC title. Second, St. Francis finished with the worst conference record, 11-7, of any of the previous nine Red Flash championship teams. In fact, entering the NEC tournament last week at the Stokes Center, the Flash did not have a winning record (14-14).

In addition, St. Francis, picked in a preseason poll to finish second in the league by the NEC coaches, suffered through a horrible spell in January, losing four of seven games to some of the lower-tier teams.

Finally, on Feb. 6, the Red Flash were pummeled in Pittsburgh by Robert Morris, 79-48, a 31-point loss.

So, how did the Red Flash succeed and earn this ticket?

First, a win by any fifth seed is a tribute to the players and coaches. The Red Flash won their eighth consecutive game on Sunday and are rolling right now, playing without fear. They never lost their focus.

Second, Hodges. Hodges is a tenacious, determined, hard-working player, and she can deliver in the clutch. On Sunday, Hodges scored 15 of her

23 points in the first half when the Red Flash held a tenuous

two-point lead, 31-29. She tasted this trip to the NCAAs. In talking with her last fall, she said, “We’re going to be there (in the NCAA tournament).”

At times, she had to doubt that, but her tenacity is a major reason that they are dancing.

Third, coach Susan Robinson-Fruchtl and her staff did a great job holding the team together when the wheels appeared to be coming off in January and early February.

In addition, sometimes the stars are aligned properly.

St. Francis hosted the first two rounds of this year’s NEC tournament. That was a huge advantage for the Red Flash. In addition, by losing the conference tie-breaker to Monmouth, who earned the fourth seed with an identical 11-7 record, St. Francis was bracketed with Robert Morris. The result was that they played the Colonials on their home court in the semifinals. Hodges keyed that 80-79 win with a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.

If St. Francis had played Robert Morris in Pittsburgh on Sunday, the difference would not have been a 31-point loss, but the Colonials would probably have won the game.

St. Francis earned nine titles from the 1995-96 season until 2005, winning five consecutive trips, missing a year, and then earning four more.

The Red Flash may avoid top-seeded Connecticut, although they are likely to earn a 16th seed.

Jeff Sagarin has St. Francis’ RPI at 184, while Austin Peay, the Ohio Valley Conference winner, has a 261.

St. Francis played the Lady Huskies twice, in 1999 (97-46 loss) and in 2002 (86-37).

Hugh Conrad is a freelance writer who covers St. Francis for The Tribune-Democrat.

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