It’s a rare sight to see the head coach of a women’s basketball team dancing with the university’s First Lady at midcourt after a game.
That’s how unique Saturday’s events were at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
UND beat Montana 72-55 in the Big Sky Conference championship game to advance to the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time in school history.
UND has routinely made the NCAA tournament in men’s hockey. The women’s hockey program has also made the national tournament.
But no non-hockey athletic program at UND had advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament until Saturday’s performance.
That prompted UND coach Travis Brewster to share a dance with Marcia Kelley, the wife of UND president Robert Kelley, during the postgame awards ceremony. As the two jived, Kool & the Gang’s “Celebration” played throughout.
“When (Robert Kelley) told me I’m the man as I’m walking out there, I figured I could just go out there and dance,” Brewster said.
And “dance” is what UND will do as it makes the field of 64 teams, an event commonly dubbed “The Big Dance.”
Per tradition, UND players took turns climbing a ladder and cutting down the basket’s nets at the Betty. UND players Madi Buck and Mia Loyd wore the nets around their necks during the postgame press conference.
It was a new scene, even for a program with a successful tradition.
During the 2007-08 season, UND athletics began the move from Division II to Division I. The women’s basketball team was an annual contender for the national title in Division II, winning championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
In Division I, UND initially had to play in the Great West Conference, a league that didn’t award an automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament for its conference champion.
UND has now played in the Big Sky Conference the past two seasons. UND didn’t qualify for even the conference tournament a year ago and was predicted to finish eighth this season in a preseason poll of league coaches.
“We wanted to bounce back from last season, so we talked about coming from obscurity and achieving excellence,” Brewster said. “We achieved that today. It’s an exciting opportunity for these young people.”
1/13: UND's women's basketball coach Travis Brewster dances with UND's First Lady Marcia Kelly as President Kelly (right) watches after UND defeated Montana 72--55 in the championship game of the Big Sky conference tournament and earned a trip to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
2/13: Members of the UND women's basketball team hoist the Big Sky Conference trophy after beating Montana 72-55 Saturday in Grand Forks.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
3/13: UND women's basketball head coach Travis Brewster (left) watches as his team celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Montana in the Big Sky Conference tournament championship game to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
4/13: UND head women's basketball coach Travis Brewster salutes the crowd after UND deafeated Montana in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament Saturday in Grand Forksto earn a trip to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
5/13: UND women's basketball head coach Travis Brewster cuts down the net after UND defeated Montana Saturday in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament and earned a trip to the NCAA tournamentJOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
6/13: UND's Mia Loyd (right) pulls a rebound away from Montana's Carly Selvig (24) in UND's win Saturday in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference tournament in Grand Forks.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
7/13: UND's Leah Szabla (1) shoots over three Montana defenders in UND's 72-55 win in the championship game of the Big Sky Conference in Grand Forks Saturday.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HEREALD
8/13: Kelsey Knox of Big Sky Conference tournament champion North Dakota cuts down the net after UND beat Montana to advance to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
9/13: The UND women's basketball team poses with the Big Sky Conference tournament trophy after beating Montana Saturday. JOHN STENNES/ GRAND FORKS HERALD
10/13: The UND women's basketball team celebrates with the Big sky Conference tournament championship trophy Saturday after beating Montana to advance to the NCA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
11/13: UND coach Travis Brewster hands the game ball to assistant coach Mallory Youngblut for safe keeping after UND defeated Montana Saturday to advance to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
12/13: The UND's women's basketball team celebrates at the buzzer after beating Montana Saturday to advance to teh NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
13/13: The UND women's basketball team begins to celebrate as the clock winds down in their win Saturday over Montana to advance to the NCAA tournament.JOHN STENNES/GRAND FORKS HERALD
Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 and 2022.
His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.
He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.
