University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Betsy Blose Part of Big Upset in 1991
02.07.2011 | Women's Basketball
Somehow that seemed appropriate for Blose as she returned to her alma mater, James Madison, to celebrate another big win that she was a part of in 1991 this past weekend.
Blose was an assistant coach at James Madison for legendary head coach Sheila Moorman for several years and was an assistant coach for the Dukes when JMU upset top-ranked Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 73-71 in State College, Pa.
"That was a game I'll never forget," stated Blose recently. "Penn State was so good and a lot of people thought they would win the national championship.
"We had a good team but knew it was going to be a tough battle with Penn State," added Blose. "Not only playing Penn State but we had to play them on their home floor."
The date was March 16, 1991 but the upset didn't start out very well. The Nittany Lions, 29-1 up to that point, scored the first 11 points of the game and led 11-0 before the game was four minutes old.
But slowly but surely, James Madison's defense took over and slowed down the Penn State attack. The Dukes trailed 41-29 at halftime but then roared out of the gates in the second half and went on a 22-6 run to grab a 51-47 lead.
JMU never trailed again. The Dukes held on and blocked a last-second three-point attempt by the home team. Final score: James Madison 73, Penn State 71. A number-one ranked team had fallen in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in just the second round.
"Coach Moorman did a great job with our team that night," explained Blose. "She never let our team panic and kept us calm in a pretty tough atmosphere."
The members of that team and coaching staff returned this past weekend and were honored on Sunday, prior to the James Madison game with Old Dominion.
"It was great to go back and see everyone and remember such a great game," commented Blose. "Coach Moorman has meant so much to me in my career. She's done that for a lot of people, and I'm glad I'm one of them."
