How glad am I that my local cable conglomerate has added ESPNU, 'cause there's nothin' like staying up late watching women's basketball.

Last night it was the D-II semi-finals. Fun to be able to watch the people I've been blogging about in action. Also, a shout out to the announcers for the game -- good play-by-play work, thoughtful analysis and lots of good background information for us newbies.

The first semi-final featured the Seawolves v. the Norse (or, UAlaska-Anchorage v. Northern Kentucky). Both teams reflected the adage (well, my adage) that there are times when basketball is a beautiful game to watch -- and then there are times when it's just plain ornery.

The teams seemed tight, with none of the offensive flow displayed in their Elite Eight games. UAA was only 16 of 55 (29.1 percent) from the floor with star center Rebecca Kielpinski having a 1 of 12 shooting night. It was no prettier for the the Norse: At one time early in the second half, NKU had seven straight possessions end in turnovers and were unable to score in the first 6:20 of the period.

The game remained fairly even until the midway point of the second half when a 9-0 Northern Kentucky run gave them the biggest lead of the game. Down 50-41 with about four minutes left, the Seawolves closed on a 13-7 run, but it wasn't enough. A potential game tying three rimmed out, giving NKU the win, 57-54.

"What a great game. Goodness gracious, it was a classic. It'll probably be on ESPN Classic in about 3 hours,," said NKU head coach Nancy Winstel (Do I detect a hint of tongue in cheek in her comment?) "We're not a perfect team. We're going to throw the ball away some, but we are also going to make plays. It was a great win for our program and for our young ladies."

"I'm really proud of our kids," said UAA head coach Tim Moser. "I took this job two years ago and this group has done a tremendous job getting here. We were in a pursuit of a championship but fell short.It stinks because we were close. We had our chances to win. That's what hurts the most."

In the other semi-final between undefeated Delta State and South Dakota the first half was a barnburner, with both teams going on scoring runs followed by droughts. No team was able to pull ahead by more than three points in the final 10 minutes of the half. USD took a one-point advantage, 39-38, into the half thanks to a Jeana Hoffman three with two seconds left.

In the second half, the defenses made themselves felt. The Lady Statesmen had dominated the shorter Coyotes on the offensive boards, but USD made adjustments and played great team defense. Incrediably active hands, good help defense and several timely threes allowed them to pull ahead. Stellar free throw shooting kept them ahead for good, earing the 68-58 upset win.

The loss snapped the Lady Statesmen’s 33-game winning streak, dropping them to 33-1 on a record-breaking season,

“We played a well coached and talented team tonight,” stated head coach Sandra Rushing. “I am proud of my ladies for their many accomplishments this season. It is a huge success to make it to the Final Four. I have a great group of young ladies and am extremely proud of them,” concluded Rushing.

For South Dakota, which won for the 31st consecutive time, the Championship game will be its final Division II game (they're moving up to Division I next season). It will also be head coach Chad Lavin's final game.

“It was an amazing defensive performance to hold a team like Delta State to 20 points in the second half,” said Lavin. “I am very pleased with the effort that this team put forward tonight,” he said. "I am also proud of the fan support. They have made a big difference in this tournament," he said. (Many made the four-hour trip from Vermillion to give the game a "home court" feel.)

Northern Kentucky and South Dakota will meet up for the Championship game Saturday, 7pm EST on ESPN2.