Back in Sweet 16, Babson women's basketball team hopes to keep on dancing
WELLESLEY -- The Babson women's basketball team is having the time of their lives. Their dance in the Division 3 NCAA Tournament continues this week, when the Beavers host Marietta College of Ohio in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.
Babson (25-5 on the season) advanced to the sectional semifinals for the first time since 2017, thanks to wins last weekend over Maine Maritime (a 69-44 blowout) and SUNY New Paltz (a 76-66 victory) at Staake Gymnasium. The feeling that came from those wins was... pretty sweet.
"Honestly, I didn't even know how to react," said Kelly Walsh, a junior guard from Goffstown, New Hampshire. "It was such a great experience, and I hope this run keeps continuing."
"I mean, it's awesome," said Megan Bauman, a senior guard and the school's all-time leader with 448 assists. "I've never made it here before. And to be at home, to be able to do it in front of our fans and the families, was awesome."
In March, the focus is on one game at a time. But that hasn't stopped these girls from dreaming about a winning the school's first title.
"Hey, I mean, I think the dreams are what get you there, you know," said senior forward Samantha Smith, the NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year. "If you don't think about it, it's not gonna happen. You just gotta work for it."
Smith and Bauman -- both of whom earned All-Region honors on Monday -- are the only two seniors on this team. And they don't want this dance to end anytime soon.
"You get that like extra, end-of-the-game push where you start thinking about the clock's ticking down," said Smith. "Are these my last minutes? You have that extra little push, so we're gonna keep riding."
"I can't really put into words how much fun it is," said Bauman. "We get to come to practice every day and play with our best friends and have them in the classroom and off the court with each other. This ride has been awesome, and like I said, we just wanna keep it going."
This is the sixth time that the lady Beavers have made the Sweet 16, and they've advanced to the sectional finals twice: in 2010 and 2011. These ladies have become quite the rock stars around the Babson campus.
"Yeah, everyone's like, 'Oh congrats,'" said Walsh. "It's like we're famous."
Now imagine how famous they would be if these girls can get four more wins.
