No pity here

Seniors Kim Roberson and Whitney Thomas deserved better.

Last Monday, the NCAA selection committee turned its back on IU and offered Minnesota – the other Big Ten bubble team – an at-large bid to the Big Dance instead.

Mind you, the Golden Gophers tied the Hoosiers for fifth in the conference and won the only head-to-head meeting.

However, their showing in the Big Ten Tournament did not match IU’s competitiveness against Michigan or Purdue in Indianapolis.

If anything, the cream and crimson should have been selected before its adversary. It was a catastrophic mistake that left Roberson and Thomas tearful after the field of 64 was revealed.

But at the same time, the snub should motivate the Hoosiers to deliver in clutch moments like Sunday’s WNIT second-round game against Dayton.

The Flyers sparked a 13-4 run in the waning minutes to tie the Hoosiers with 0.6 seconds.

From her own baseline, Thomas threw the ball to Roberson but an inadvertent whistle halted play.

Lucky for the home team, the official’s mistake made way for a timeout with 0.2 seconds remaining.

IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack drew up the buzzer-beater that you’ve hopefully seen on TV by now.

Out of the huddle, the roles flopped. Roberson’s job was to heave the ball to the basket while Thomas would break and tip it in.

It was one of those plays you dream about being part of.

“How ironic the last play of the game involved the two kids that stayed through three coaches,” Legette-Jack said after the thrilling 59-57 win. “To receive that 20-win season on the backs of the two kids that started this whole thing off makes my heart beat a little bit harder.”

What also makes Roberson and Thomas special are their quests to improve the program.

The duo might not get over not making the tournament in their last years in candy-stripes, but both have helped mature a basketball team waiting to break out of its shell.

They are laying a foundation junior guard Jamie Braun will build upon next season.
Braun echoed the lessons the senior class taught, especially the belief that any player can make the shot when the game is on the line.

“When you have five people out there that are confident enough to want the ball, it makes all the difference,” Braun said. “It may be at the last second shot, but it’s still going to be a high percentage shot.”

Yes, even with a mere 0.2 seconds, the Hoosiers believe they can hit an “are you kidding me” game-winner.

Usually WNIT teams are so disappointed about not dancing in March, they don’t possess the appropriate attitude to succeed in the least convincing situations.
But not IU.

If it’s the WNIT, so be it. The Hoosiers are out to win it all.

“We’re upset and disappointed that we didn’t make the NCAA tournament, but we’re not going to hang our heads,” fellow senior Amber Jackson said. “We are really trying to play as long as we can to pursue a championship and hang a banner.”