CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's basketball team, fresh off of winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, heads to Notre Dame for the first round of the Women's NCAA Tournament on Friday, Mar. 17 at 1:30 p.m. MT.

Southern Utah earned the No. 14 seed in the Greenville 1 Region in its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

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Game Info

No. 14 Southern Utah vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

Date: Friday, Mar. 17

Tip-off: 1:30 MT

Stream: ESPN 2

Venue: Edmund P. Joyce Center

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PREVIEW

Southern Utah (23-9, 16-2 WAC)

Regular Season Champs

In its inaugural season in the Western Athletic Conference, Southern Utah finished with a 16-2 record to claim the regular season conference title.

Preseason predictions placed SUU to finish sixth overall in the WAC. However, the Thunderbirds exceeded all expectations to claim their first regular season conference championship since 2013-14.

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Conference Tournament Champs

Southern Utah carried its dominance into the conference tournament, where the 'Birds went 3-0 to win the 2023 WAC Tournament Championship and clinch its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

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Conference Tournament Results

• March 8, Southern Utah 62, New Mexico State 61, Quarterfinal

• March 10, Southern Utah 64, Grand Canyon 51, Semifinal

• March 11, Southern Utah 82, California Baptist 73, Final

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WAC All-Tournament Team

Daugherty had a career-defining showing in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. In the championship game she exploded for 26 points, eight rebounds, and three assists on 61 percent shooting to claim the award for the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament. 

Megan Jensen and Tomekia Whitman were also named to the All-Tournament team. Jensen highlighted the WAC semifinals by matching her career-high in scoring with a dominant 22 points and eight rebounds. Whitman fueled the Thunderbirds fire in the WAC quarterfinals with 18 points and six rebounds on three of seven shooting from three point range. 

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Double-Digit Conference Wins

2023 WAC Coach of the Year Tracy Sanders owns the record for most 10+ wins in school history with an 11-9 record in 2019-20, a 14-6 mark in 2021-22, and a 16-2 slate this year.  In fact, only one other coach has two such seasons with JR Payne going 10-8 in 2010-11 in the Summit League and 15-5 in 2013-14 in the Big Sky. 

However, with a 16-2 effort this season in the Western Athletic Conference, Sanders accomplished another first - back-to-back double-digit conference wins.

    

Total 10+ Conference Wins

16-2, 2022-23 (Western Athletic Conference)

14-6, 2021-22 (Big Sky)

11-9, 2019-20 (Big Sky)

15-5, 2013-14 (Big Sky)

10-8, 2010-11 (Summit)

11-5, 2000-01 (Mid-Continent)

13-3, 1985-86 (Rocky Mountain)

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Sanders Sustained Success

With the 75-70 win against Utah Valley on Saturday, Feb. 11, head coach Tracy Sanders collected her 70th win at the helm of the Thunderbirds.  That's the most wins in the first five seasons of any coach in school history (and counting).

Here are the full coaching records for wins per accumulated season with Sanders jumping into first through five seasons already this year with multiple opportunities to tack on to that lead.

    

Wins in First Season

Joy Peterson, 18 wins, 1976-77

Chris Boettcher, 13 wins, 2014-15

Boyd Adams, 9 wins, 1982-83

Joe Hillock, 9 wins, 1996-97

Steve Hodson, 9 wins, 2006-07

Kit Janes, 9 wins, 2008-09

Kathryn Berg, 8 wins, 1975-76

Tracy Sanders, 8 wins, 2018-19

Clay Anderson, 7 wins, 1988-89

JR Payne, 7 wins, 2009-10

Larry Shurtliff, 6 wins, 1991-92

Gordon Kerbs, 4 wins, 1990-91

    

Wins Through 2 Seasons

Joy Peterson, 31 wins, 1976-78

Tracy Sanders, 26 wins, 2018-20

Joe Hillock, 25 wins, 1996-98

JR Payne, 23 wins, 2008-10

Boyd Adams, 21 wins, 1982-84

Chris Boettcher, 19 wins, 2014-16

Larry Shurtliff, 18 wins, 1991-93

Steve Hodson, 15 wins, 2006-07

Clay Anderson, 12 wins, 1988-90

        

Wins Through 3 Seasons

Joy Peterson, 46 wins, 1976-79

Joe Hillock, 41 wins, 1996-99

Tracy Sanders, 37 wins, 2018-21

Boyd Adams, 34 wins, 1982-85

Larry Shurtliff, 34 wins, 1991-94

JR Payne, 29 wins, 2009-12

Chris Boettcher, 26 wins, 2014-17

    

Wins Through 4 Seasons

Joy Peterson, 57 wins, 1976-80

Tracy Sanders, 55 wins, 2018-22

Joe Hillock, 53 wins, 1996-00

Larry Shurtliff, 51 wins, 1991-95

Boyd Adams, 50 wins, 1982-86

JR Payne, 44 wins, 2009-13

Chris Boettcher, 29 wins, 2014-18

    

Wins Through 5 Seasons

Tracy Sanders, 78 wins, 2018-Present

Joe Hillock, 69 wins, 1996-2001

Larry Shurtliff, 68 wins, 1991-96 

JR Payne, 67 wins, 2009-14

Boyd Adams, 66 wins, 1982-87

Joy Peterson, 63 wins, 1976-81    

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National Rankings!

Southern Utah ranks among the top in the country in several categories.

        

Total Rebounds/Game - TEAM

1. Troy, 50.9

15. Southern Utah, 42.13

        

Rebound Margin - TEAM

1. South Carolina, 20.5

16. Southern Utah, 8.0

        

Total Blocks/Game - TEAM

1. South Carolina, 9.0

17. Southern Utah, 4.9

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T-Bird Tidbits

• Southern Utah scores 69.1 points per game while holding its competition to 65.9 points a game.

• SUU wins the rebounding war by corralling 42.1 rebounds per game while holding its opponents to 33.9 boards a game.

• Cherita Daugherty powers the Thunderbirds with 15.3 points per game.

• Three other T-Birds score in double digits with Tomekia Whitman (12.0), Daylani Ballena (11.3), and Megan Jensen (11.3) all eclipsing 10 points per game.

• WAC Defensive Player of the Year Lizzy Williamson leads the team with 10.1 rebounds per game and 2.37 blocks a game.

• Ballena serves as the team's primary distributor with 3.9 assists per game.

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Last Time Out

First Half 

Southern Utah exploded out of the gate as Ballena splashed a game-opening three-pointer and Whitman hit a corner pocket triple. Jensen would then go to work down low, hitting two buckets on the low-post to help give the Thunderbirds an early 12-4 advantage at the 5:47 mark in the first. 

After Baptist responded with a quick 6-2 spurt to bring the score within five points,  Daugherty started to heat up and drained an elbow jumper and two free throws to extend SUU's lead back out to 18-9 with 3:43 left in the opening period. 

Following a CBU driving layup, the Lancers switched to their full-court press and pestered the Thunderbird's offensive attack, sparking an 8-3 run to trim their deficit to 21-17 at the end of the first quarter. 

The Thunderbirds remained composed to open the second quarter and began to pierce through CBU's press. Jensen got things rolling by hitting a contested putback layup and a crafty bucket in the post. Daugherty also sank a second-chance pull-up jumper and two more free throws to help push SUU's lead to 28-19 with 5:04 on the clock in the second.  

CBU began to find more life and pulled back within six points, 29-23, from two straight possessions of free throws. Southern Utah remained strong as three consecutive offensive rebounds in the same possession led to a Daugherty pull-up jumper to help put the Thunderbirds up 31-23 at the end of the first half. 

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Second Half

Williamson showed off her range with a smooth jumper from the high post to start the second half for the Thunderbirds. After CBU answered with a driving layup, SUU found a spark as Ballena drilled a mid-range jumper, and Jensen darted a pass to Williamson flashing through the paint for an effortless layup, putting Southern Utah up 37-25 at the 7:03 mark in the third. 

Following a media timeout, Cal Baptist kept the intensity high and began to heat up from deep, hitting three triples to cut the deficit to 41-33 with 3:55 remaining in the quarter. The T-Birds would recapture the momentum immediately as Whitman struck from three and Ballena pickpocketed a steal for a coast-to-coast layup. Samantha Johnston would also be fouled from behind the arc, securing three made free throws and a 53-43 lead for Southern Utah at the end of the third quarter. 

Both teams locked down defensively to begin the final quarter as we saw a nearly three-minute scoring drought until the Lancers made two free throws to break the lull. Each side traded trips to the free-throw line in the next two possessions before Whitman pulled up for a mid-range jumper in space. Daugherty would then slice through the defense for a layup, giving SUU a 59-49 advantage with five minutes remaining in regulation. 

California Baptist wouldn't go away and continued launching threes, getting the Thunderbird's lead down to 63-55 with 3:56 left. Southern Utah continued to find answers as Daugherty canned a and one layup, and Whitman and Jensen both swished free throws to rocket the score back out to 69-56 with under two minutes remaining. 

The Lancers attempted to mount one last comeback, bringing the score back to 77-70 with 1:10 left. The Thunderbirds were too dominant as Daugherty and Ballena went to the free throw line and put the game out of reach, securing the 82-73 victory and the program's first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

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Scouting Report: NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (25-5, 15-3 ACC)

Notre Dame owns a 25-5 overall record with a 15-3 Atlantic Coast Conference record that secured the outright regular season conference title for the first time since 2019. 

After entering the ACC tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, they opened postseason play with a 66-60 victory over NC State, before falling to Louisville in the semifinals 64-38. 

The Irish are led by two dynamic scores that both contribute 14 points in each contest. Sonia Citron averages 14.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists with a 49.5 field goal percentage. Olivia Miles has fueled their offense all season with 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and an ACC-leading 6.9 assists. 

Notre Dame has a balanced team on both ends of the floor, scoring 74.8 points, while holding its opponents to 58.0 points each game, making them 15th in the country in scoring margin with a 16.0.  

Like the Thunderbirds, the Irish thrash their opponents on the boards, pulling down 42.7 rebounds per contest, ranking them eighth in the entire country.

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History

This will be the first meeting between Southern Utah and Notre Dame. 

However, head coach Tracy Sanders is no stranger to the Fighting Irish, as she faced Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament in 1999 during her playing career at Saint Mary's.

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