March 8, 2002

Dwight Chapin, Chronicle Senior Writer

It's a waiting game now for the three Bay Area West Coast Conference women's teams.

Santa Clara, 21-9 and with an RPI computer ranking of No. 38, would seem to be almost a sure thing to be selected Sunday in the 64-team NCAA Tournament field.

The Broncos were snubbed by the NCAA selectors last season, when they were 20-8, but circumstances are different this year. And, after his squad lost to Pepperdine 81-77 in the WCC tournament championship game last Sunday, coach Chris Denker said, "We're going to the NCAA Tournament. We'd better be."

The situation is different at USF and St. Mary's.

The Lady Dons, who are 18-11 and who tied for second place in the WCC's regular season, hope to be in the NCAA Tournament despite an RPI rating of 78. And, if that doesn't happen, they think they can make a strong argument for a spot in the Women's NIT.

The Gaels, who played so well last season in beating Texas and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament against mighty Tennessee, were just 16- 12 and lost to Santa Clara by three points in the WCC tournament semifinals. They, too, have their eyes on the WNIT.

Both USF and St. Mary's have made bids to host WNIT games.

In the case of all three Bay Area schools, much might depend on what sort of respect (or lack of it) the WCC has gained nationwide.

"Our conference RPI is seventh in the country," USF head coach Mary Hile- Nepfel said. "The Pac-10 is ninth and the WAC 11th. So in the western region we're second-best, behind the Mountain West Conference."

Hile-Nepfel offered a number of selling points for her team, too. Among them:

• The Lady Dons' record was the best since they advanced to three straight NCAA Tournaments from 1995-97.
• They were 3-2 against 2001 NCAA Tournament teams, with home victories over Washington (Elite Eight), Utah (Sweet 16) and St. Mary's, and they also beat Syracuse and Cal on the road and Santa Clara at home.
• They started the season 0-3 after losing starting center Mary Jane Krueger to knee surgery, but they closed strongly, with 10 victories in their last 13 games.
• They have an all-conference first-team player in sophomore forward Carey Sauer, and the league's freshman of the year in guard Toni Russell.

"We'll be waiting by the phone Sunday," Hile-Nepfel said. "There's been talk about Washington trying to get into the NCAA, but both we and Santa Clara have beaten them, our RPI is higher and our record is better. If people are talking about the Pac-10 getting a third team into the (NCAA) Tournament, I think the WCC should be doing the same thing."

St. Mary's would appear to be an attractive choice for the WNIT, because the core of the team that played so well in the last postseason is back, led by the Dosty twins, Jerkisha and Jermisha, who have dominated the WCC and are likely WNBA draft picks.

"I definitely think what we did last year kind of put a crack in the wall," Gaels coach Michelle Jacoby said, "and maybe people are looking at us a little bit more consistently now.

"My team is healthy and hungry to go to some kind of postseason tournament, and the WNIT is a great tournament, very competitive

no cupcake for sure. If Santa Clara gets into the NCAA, I think we have a really good chance for the WNIT. If not, they'll probably take Santa Clara."