DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — The Miami RedHawks stood up and cheered when it was announced they would play the Louisville Cardinals in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

They didn't cheer because of Louisville, or because of the game day (Sunday, March 23) or game time (approximately 2:30 p.m.) or game site (the 10,000-seat Bridgeport Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.).

They cheered because it was just another reminder that, yes, they really are going to "The Big Dance" for the first time in school history.

"I'm just excited and still on cloud nine from this weekend," said Miami senior guard Amanda Jackson, the leading scorer in school history and last week's Mid-American Conference Tournament MVP.

"To be honest, I think it's still sinking in," added Miami junior guard Jenna Schone. "Filling in a lot of the blanks (opponent, date, time, site) makes it feel a little more real."

Some of the excitement is likely to give way as the RedHawks get down to business with practice and preparations for Louisville, a team that finished 24-9 overall, 10-6 in the Big East Conference.

"You prepare for how you're going to stay in the ballgame for 40 minutes to have a chance to win," Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa said, noting that Louisville's lineup includes one of the nation's leading scorers in Angel McCoughtry, a 6-foot-1 junior forward who averages 23.6 points per game.

Miami, as the No. 13 seed in the New Orleans Regional, is a definite underdog to the fourth-seeded Cardinals. Which doesn't bother the RedHawks one bit.

"We try to prove to ourselves that we belong," said Fantanarosa, whose team stands 23-10 and is riding a six-game winning streak.

"There are eight teams on our schedule that are in the NCAA," she pointed out, "and that says a lot. We played some good mid-major teams, but we've also played the Temples of the world."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.