Oakland, Mich. 65, W. Illinois 56

3/7/2006 5:58 PM

By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - The last time Beckie Francis took Oakland to the NCAA tournament, she was stressed out and on the brink of resigning. Now, she's enjoying the experience.

After taking three years off from coaching, Francis took her old job back at Oakland before this season and guided the Golden Grizzlies back to the NCAAs with a 65-56 upset of top-seeded Western Illinois in the Mid-Continent Conference championship on Tuesday.

``This is just amazing in my first year back ...,'' Francis said. ``It's surreal.''

Francis led the Golden Grizzlies (15-15) to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2002 but resigned before the next season because stress was causing her digestive problems.

She never intended to come back.

``When I resigned, I resigned,'' Francis said. ``So I wept over it and I grieved. I got therapy. It was tough because I love coaching. I really believe it's a passion and it's a gift.''

She also went to church. And when her team was coming down the stretch in the Mid-Con tournament, she found herself reciting the chorus of a church song in her head.

``I learned a lot about humility,'' Francis said. ``I was getting a little arrogant. I thought it was me. When you start thinking it's yourself, then there's more pressure.

``Now I know it's not me. I know it's God and I know it's the team. I know it's the players. And so, it's more enjoyable.''

Anne Hafeli, who matched her season high with 25 points to lead the Golden Grizzlies, was just about to join Francis' team when the coach left. But her hunger to get to the NCAAs still remained.

``I was committed to Oakland and they went to the NCAA tournament. I was so excited. I couldn't wait to go myself,'' the senior said. ``It's so great to have it happen in our last year. It's just amazing.

``Coach Beckie came back and it just feels really good.''

Nicole Piggott added 14 points and nine rebounds for Oakland, which outrebounded Western Illinois 48-42 and held the Westerwinds to 29 percent shooting, including 1-for-17 from 3-point range.

Zane Teilane scored a career-high 28 points and set a conference tournament record with 22 rebounds for Western Illinois (23-6), but the Westerwinds lost in the conference tournament after winning the regular-season title for the fourth straight season. It was the first time they made it as far as the championship game.

As a consolation this season, they automatically receive a bid to the Women's NIT.

Western Illinois rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to get within 58-53 on back-to-back baskets by Teilane, the two-time conference player of the year, but didn't make another field goal after that.

Teilane, who also had seven blocks, was still able to pass Robin Hasemann to set the Westerwinds' career record for scoring. She's already the school's all-time leading rebounder.

``She's an incredible player. I was thinking if they go to her every time, we're in trouble,'' Francis said. ``I don't know how Western Illinois coaches, but I would almost be like, `Don't anybody else shoot it. Just give it to her.'''

The Golden Grizzlies rushed off the bench and celebrated in a huddle at midcourt. They walked by the Westerwinds' bench to shake hands with their opponents, then prepared to cut down the nets.

Sixth-seeded Oakland beat the conference's top three seeds in ascending order to win the tournament on the same floor where the school's seventh-seeded men's team earned a stunning first NCAA tournament berth last year by upsetting top-seeded Oral Roberts.

The men's coach, Greg Kampe, approached Francis - who'd been 90-54 in her five years at Oakland - about coming back to the Golden Grizzlies after Eileen Hilliard resigned before this season.

Recalling the building pressure of back-to-back regular-season titles in 2000 and 2001 before the NCAA run in 2002, Francis hesitated and consulted with doctors, therapists and pastors.

``I don't want to go back into something that got me so ill,'' she recalled thinking.

But everywhere she looked, she saw signs telling her to go back. Now, she finds herself with a new perspective and telling Kampe she feels like she's never been here before.

``I am a different person,'' Francis said. ``I'm enjoying it.''