t’s March, and by now most of you have already contemplated why in the world you love the month so much and why in the world you never pick a 12 seed to beat a 5 seed, and I’m pretty sure everyone’s still wondering just where the hell Bucknell is and how they beat the mighty Jayhawks.

Well, rather than torturing yourself by watching Wisconsin-Milwaukee win another NCAA Tournament game, tear up that bracket, put it out of your mind for a week and enjoy a different kind of NCAA Tournament.

Starting today you can make a short drive down to Hot Springs and catch a different kind of March Madness. You can catch some Division II Women’s March Madness, as the Summit Arena plays host to this year’s Elite Eight.

And why not? You probably don’t have anything to lose on this one. You didn’t join the office pool for the Division II Tournament and you didn’t enter any online bracket contests. You can just trot on down to Hot Springs and catch some great women’s basketball live without worrying about how your bracket looks. Just enjoy the games.

Oh, by the way, the UCA Sugar Bears will be there.

That’s right, while most of you were away on Spring Break, the Sugar Bears were putting in work at the Farris Center in the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Led by All-American candidates Carone Harris and Caronica Randle, UCA torched Rollins, its first-round opponent, by 30 and then slid by Fort Valley State and Henderson State by 15 points each to claim the South Region crown and earn a trip to the Elite Eight.

The Sugar Bears will tip things off at about 8 p.m. tonight against the No. 1 team in the nation, the Shaw Bears.

Those national rankings generally don’t mean a thing during March. But I’m not sure they ever do in Division II women’s basketball. UCA jumped up to 18 in last week’s rankings, making its first appearance of the season. Folks, this team has won 24 of its last 25 games.

Un-freaking-believable.

I know most of you have never attended a Sugar Bears game, but it’s never too late to start. UCA is the only Arkansas school left in this tournament and the only still playing for an NCAA title. This is your chance to redeem yourself as a Sugar Bears fan.

No question — the Sugar Bears have been the most successful athletic program at UCA in recent years, and they seemingly get lost in the shuffle.

It’s hard for any basketball program to be king at any school in Arkansas, a state that for some reason is crazier for its mediocre football than it is for pretty solid basketball at every level. It’s even harder when it’s a women’s basketball team.

I’ll admit that I was never much of a women’s basketball fan, but in the three years I’ve experienced Sugar Bears basketball, I’ve become a fan of the sport.

The Sugar Bears are fun to watch — they play like a men’s team. They get up and down the floor, play hard-nosed defense and they’ve got the ability to score a lot of points in a hurry.

Harris and Randle are the nation’s leading scoring duo. Micaela Thomas has stepped up in the post season, scoring when she has to, stepping up the defense and doing all the little things at the right times.

Traci Graham can change a game with her 3-point shooting, and Renita Dobbins comes off the bench and changes the game with her quickness, ball-handling and flashy passes.

The Sugar Bears aren’t even the same team they were early in the year when they were 3-5.

With only one loss since then, they’ve also lightened the load, going from 15 players to 11. Just 10 of those are healthy enough to put a uniform on, and for most of the year, only eight players suited up for the purple and gray.

This may be the closest-knit team in all of sports, and that spells trouble for the seven other teams in Hot Springs this week.

The Sugar Bears are doing everything they’re supposed to do and playing good basketball at the end of the year.

They’ve bonded like no one else, and they really don’t seem to be phased by much.

So leave everything behind, come on down to Hot Springs and see if the Sugar Bears can get just three more wins and bring home that National Championship.





		Sugar Bears get March Madness of their own


		t’s March, and by now most of you have already contemplated why in the world you love the month so much and why in the world you never pick a 12 seed to beat a 5 seed, and I’m pretty sure everyone’s still wondering just where the hell Bucknell is and how they beat the mighty Jayhawks. Well, rather than torturing yourself by watching Wisconsin-Milwaukee win another NCAA Tournament game, tear up that bracket, put it out of your mind for a week and enjoy a different kind of NCAA Tournament. Starting today you can make a short drive down to Hot Springs and catch a different kind of March Madness. You can catch some Division II Women’s March Madness, as the Summit Arena plays host to this year’s Elite Eight. And why not? You probably don’t have anything to lose on this one. You didn’t join the office pool for the Division II Tournament and you didn’t enter any online bracket contests. You can just trot on down to Hot Springs and catch some great women’s basketball live without worrying about how your bracket looks. Just enjoy the games. Oh, by the way, the UCA Sugar Bears will be there. That’s right, while most of you were away on Spring Break, the Sugar Bears were putting in work at the Farris Center in the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Led by All-American candidates Carone Harris and Caronica Randle, UCA torched Rollins, its first-round opponent, by 30 and then slid by Fort Valley State and Henderson State by 15 points each to claim the South Region crown and earn a trip to the Elite Eight. The Sugar Bears will tip things off at about 8 p.m. tonight against the No. 1 team in the nation, the Shaw Bears. Those national rankings generally don’t mean a thing during March. But I’m not sure they ever do in Division II women’s basketball. UCA jumped up to 18 in last week’s rankings, making its first appearance of the season. Folks, this team has won 24 of its last 25 games. Un-freaking-believable. I know most of you have never attended a Sugar Bears game, but it’s never too late to start. UCA is the only Arkansas school left in this tournament and the only still playing for an NCAA title. This is your chance to redeem yourself as a Sugar Bears fan. No question — the Sugar Bears have been the most successful athletic program at UCA in recent years, and they seemingly get lost in the shuffle. It’s hard for any basketball program to be king at any school in Arkansas, a state that for some reason is crazier for its mediocre football than it is for pretty solid basketball at every level. It’s even harder when it’s a women’s basketball team. I’ll admit that I was never much of a women’s basketball fan, but in the three years I’ve experienced Sugar Bears basketball, I’ve become a fan of the sport. The Sugar Bears are fun to watch — they play like a men’s team. They get up and down the floor, play hard-nosed defense and they’ve got the ability to score a lot of points in a hurry. Harris and Randle are the nation’s leading scoring duo. Micaela Thomas has stepped up in the post season, scoring when she has to, stepping up the defense and doing all the little things at the right times. Traci Graham can change a game with her 3-point shooting, and Renita Dobbins comes off the bench and changes the game with her quickness, ball-handling and flashy passes. The Sugar Bears aren’t even the same team they were early in the year when they were 3-5. With only one loss since then, they’ve also lightened the load, going from 15 players to 11. Just 10 of those are healthy enough to put a uniform on, and for most of the year, only eight players suited up for the purple and gray. This may be the closest-knit team in all of sports, and that spells trouble for the seven other teams in Hot Springs this week. The Sugar Bears are doing everything they’re supposed to do and playing good basketball at the end of the year. They’ve bonded like no one else, and they really don’t seem to be phased by much. So leave everything behind, come on down to Hot Springs and see if the Sugar Bears can get just three more wins and bring home that National Championship.