Women's basketball takes second nationally in 2013
Most Mesa fans are familiar with the fact that the women's basketball team ended a 34-year national title drought with its championship in 2014.
But, did you remember that virtually the same group of players came oh so close to a championship just the previous year when most were freshmen?
Coming off a 22-6 regular season, the young group of T-Birds charged all the way to the national championship game before finally falling to Louisburg (N.C.), 75-65.
It all began with a pair of home games in the Region I tournament. First, the T-Birds took down Phoenix, 72-63, to set up what has almost become a regional final tradition, Mesa vs. Pima. That has been the match-up for the last four years.
The T-Birds overcame a horrendous start to take a 58-45 victory and earn a trip to the NJCAA nationals in Peoria, Ill.
To make things even more exciting, the Thunderbirds entered the 16-team event as the No. 1 seed.
Taking on 16th-seeded North Platte (Neb.) in what amounts to the Sweet 16, MCC surged to a 28-15 halftime lead and scored an easy, 63-35, win. Madi Austin (Fr., Saginaw, Mich/Horizon (AZ) H.S.) began a run of great three-point shooting by hitting four of six and scoring 17 points. Nikki Tsosie (So., Chinle, AZ/Chinle H.S.) contributed 13 points.
Next up was two-time defending national champion Malone (N.Y.). The T-Birds advanced to the semi-finals with a 53-50 win. Mariah Willadsen (Fr., Mesa,AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) made two free throws with 6.1 seconds remaining to seal the win. Tsosie led the way with 16 points, while Willadsen and Mariam Ridgwell (So., Boise, Idaho/Meridian H.S.) added 10 each.
The final four wound up consisting of the teams that had been seeded as the top four before the tournament began. That set up Mesa against St. Claire Co. (Mich.). Overcoming a long scoring drought at the start of the second half, MCC went on to a 64-54 victory that sent it into the championship game. Austin found her three-point mark again, going 4-6, and scored 18 points with Willadsen chipping in with 13.
The title contest pitted Mesa and second-seeded Louisburg (N.C.), the team that had eliminated MCC from the NJCAA event the previous year.
The T-Birds had a solid lead, 47-38, with 13:46 left, but hit a cold streak and saw the Hurricanes surge in front, 53-52, and ultimately expand that to a 75-65 victory. Austin had 23 points, including four of seven three pointers and Tsosie added 15 points.
Tsosie, Austin and Leslie Tademy (Fr., Phoenix, AZ/South Mountain H.S.) were all named to the all-tournament team.
A year later the championship dream came true.
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