Photos: Rachel Fus Nick Ruggiero Narration: Zach Schonbrun Production Stephen Dockery

Her clock may have read 4 a.m., but Fantasia Goodwin couldn’t fall asleep until she shot down every possible reason for her team not making the NCAA Tournament.

‘That we wouldn’t go because we are a young team,’ said Goodwin of the sole reason that she could think of that would prevent her and her team from dancing. ‘I was just trying to say anything. I was just like ‘Ahh that can’t be it.”

Goodwin might have a hard time sleeping again Monday night as the NCAA Tournament selection committee couldn’t find any flaws in the Syracuse women’s basketball team’s resume either. The Orange will make its fourth trip to the big dance and play its first game Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. Seventh-seeded SU will face the No. 10 seed Hartford at 2:30 p.m.

The first game of the Oklahoma City region will tip before Syracuse’s game, when No. 2 seed Texas A&M and 15th-seeded Texas-San Antonio play. The winners of both games will play Monday.

The No. 7 seed is the highest for Syracuse since the NCAA women’s basketball tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994.

The selection show began promptly at 7 p.m., but Syracuse didn’t hear its name until a couple minutes after 7:30. It may have only been a half hour, but to the players, it felt much longer.

After a week off following an early exit in the Big East tournament and enduring classes that dragged on Monday, the players were ready.

‘My goodness, the first two brackets took years to go by,’ freshman guard Erica Morrow said. ‘First of all, I got out of class at 12:35 today so I’ve been waiting for seven hours to hear our named called. Just hearing our named call is, is great.’

Morrow and her teammates saw 44 other team logos appear on the screen before finally seeing its orange ‘S’ with ‘Syracuse’ above it appeared on the screen. SU was predicted to be a seven seed by ESPN’s Charlie Creme, so the night began with feelings of excitement. But as each team not named Syracuse was announced the excitement slowly transformed to nervousness.

‘I kept tapping Slinky (Nicole Michael) like, ‘When is our name going to be called?” Morrow said. ‘And me, I’m more a math person so I’m thinking about the numbers. Half the bracket is gone, that means we only have one of two chances to get called.’

As soon as the show began, emotion in the room could be felt. Fourteen sets of eyes glared at the television from a blue L-shaped couch. Each commercial break a collective sigh was let out from the room followed by nervous chatter, but the instant ESPN commentator Trey Wingo’s voice was heard, silence immediately invaded the room.

When the Orange finally saw its name on the screen, a collective scream was let out by the players and coaches, with head coach Quentin Hillsman leading the charge. Hillsman stood up with both hands erected toward the sky, and one by one the rest of the team followed. Before they could even congratulate each other, players’ eyes began to water, which soon evolved into tears.

As the room erupted with emotion, Hillsman’s body didn’t even get the opportunity to rest back on the couch before the coach said, ‘Hartford’s good, they’re good. It’s going to be a good game.’

Hillsman then went around to every player and congratulated them with a hug. He embraced all of his assistant coaches, staff and his wife, Shandrist, who was also in attendance.

‘It is relieving because these girls work so hard, and you didn’t want them to get let down,’ Hillsman said. ‘They’ve had a great season, and they’ve put everything into this game so you just don’t want any let downs.’

Even before the selection show started, Hillsman complimented his team for its season. He told them he wanted them to enjoy the next hour no matter what happened. The team surpassed everyone’s expectations including his, and even if their name wasn’t called, they should be proud.

‘It means a lot because when you recruit these kids you tell them about NCAA Tournaments, you tell them about playing in postseason,’ Hillsman said. ‘You tell them about winning championships, and this is the first step.’

It’s a step no one could have expected only one year after Syracuse finished 9-20 and didn’t qualify for the Big East tournament. Now that it is official the Orange is in the field of 64, the collective blood pressure of the team can return to normal.

‘I mean I’m excited, I’m not nervous anymore,’ Morrow said. ‘My heart isn’t beating fast anymore. I’m just happy; I’m actually ready to go practice.’

mibonner@syr.edu

Published on March 18, 2008 at 12:00 pm