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It's March, so it makes sense the Utes' first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament will be the Irish.
The University of Utah women's basketball team will be hoping for luck of its own to advance beyond a first-round matchup Saturday against Notre Dame, which was announced Monday evening on ESPN.
The Utes, who will host the first two rounds at the Huntsman Center, were given a No. 15 seed and matched up against the 26-7 Fighting Irish, the region's No. 2 seed.
The Utes and Irish will play at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, after seventh-seeded Arizona State plays No. 10 seed Temple at 2 p.m., also at the Huntsman Center.
The Utes, at 18-16, bullied their way into the tournament by upsetting BYU and TCU on Friday and Saturday to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas.
So, these Utes know a thing or two about being underdogs under pressure, although a No. 15 seed hasn't knocked off a No. 2 seed since the women's tournament went to full seeding in 1994.
"It's March," junior guard Janita Badon said. "I don't think any number before March matters. Same with our conference tournament. We went in as the fifth seed and no fifth seed had ever won the tournament before, so no number before a name matters to me."
Utah will have plenty to worry about with its opponent as it is. Interim coach Anthony Levrets said Utah has lots of studying to do on Notre Dame.
"I don't know anything about them," he said. "I've been so focused on our team. I know they're good."
The Irish are led by guards Skylar Diggins and Natalie Novosel, who each average 14 points per game, while 6-foot-2 forward Devereaux Peters is a big defensive presence in the post.
Figuring all of that out will come in the next few days. Monday, though, was about celebrating for a team that for much of the season looked little like it would make the postseason.
Then the MWC tournament rolled around, and Utah found ways to win four games — three against teams to whom the Utes had already lost a combined five games. The Utes will be the conference's lone representative in the tournament.
Levrets said the Utes' run through the conference tournament has tested them for the NCAA Tournament.
"Tournament time, you expect games to be hotly contested and not run away with," he said. "I think we're comfortable in that setting. Hopefully we'll be able to be in a close game here and see if we can make enough plays at the end to give ourselves a chance to win."
Twitter: @oramb —
Notre Dame at Utah women
P At Hunstman Center, Saturday 4:30 p.m.
TV • ESPN2 —
BYU, USU host first-round games in the WNIT
BYU had hoped to be part of the NCAA Tournament when the women's field was unveiled Monday. Instead, the Cougars (23-8) will play Denver (19-11) in Provo on Thursday in the opening round of the Women's NIT.
Meanwhile, Utah State will be part of its first national tournament since the school reinstated women's basketball in 2002. The Aggies (17-14) will host Arizona (21-10), also Thursday. Tip-off times have yet to be announced. —
No. 2, Notre Dame; 26-7, 13-3 Big East
After starting their season at 2-2, the Irish were almost unbeatable the rest of the season. Three of their five other losses came against No. 1-seeds Baylor and Big East rival Connecticut. The Irish are led by guards Skylar Diggins and Natalie Novosel, who both average 14 points per game.
No. 7, Arizona State; 20-10, 11-7 Pac-10
The Utes' future conference foe makes its sixth trip to the NCAA Tournament in the last seven seasons and hasn't lost a first-round game since 2001. Before their loss to California in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament, the Devils, led by senior point guard Dymond Simon, had won sixth of their previous eight games.
No. 10, Temple; 23-8, 13-1
The Owls advanced to the second round of last year's tournament as a No. 8 seed. This year, they have been just as good, although they have lost two of their last three games after previously winning 17 straight. Temple is led by guards Qwedia Wallace and Shey Peddy and forward Kristen McCarthy. The trio combines to average 40 points.