NKU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY TIMELINE NKU battles South Dakota State for the 2003 national championship — on
ESPN2
NKU players display the national runner-up trophy after dropping a 65-50 decision to South Dakota State on March 29, 2003, at St. Joseph, Mo. More than 2,000 South Dakota State fans packed into the St. Joseph Civic Center to give the Jackrabbits plenty of vocal support. NKU - which had knocked off No. 1 California (Pa.) two nights earlier - finished with a 26-8 record.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — By halftime of the NCAA Division II national championship game, the Jackrabbit Nation could sense it. And for good reason. South Dakota State held a 32-17 lead over Northern Kentucky University at the break, and the Jackrabbits did that despite shooting just 34.5 percent from the field. A raucous, pro-SDSU crowd of 2,556 - featuring the famed Jackrabbit Nation, SDSU’s enthusiastic fans who had made the trip from Brookings, S.D. - could sense their first national championship was just 20 minutes away. The Jackrabbits did not disappoint their large following, as they captured the NCAA Division II national championship with a 65-50 win over NKU. SDSU, the preseason pick by many to win the 2003 national title, finished the season with a 32-3 record. NKU, meanwhile, closed the season with a 26-8 record after its improbable run to the national title contest. The Norse entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed in the Great Lakes Regional, and few expected NKU to earn its fourth trip to the Elite Eight in the past five years. “I’ll always remember this team, and how well they played during Bridget Flanagan prepares the NCAA Tournament,” NKU head coach Nancy Winstel said. “After the to shoot a 3-pointer. way we played at our conference tournament, no one gave us a chance. These players kept working at it, though, and they deserve a lot of credit. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 72 2013-14 NKU Norse media guide