For UC San Diego, making the NCAA Tournament is not just a personal victory for the players and coaches; it’s a historic moment for the entire university. The university is now the first school in history to send both their women’s and men’s teams to the tournament in their first year of official eligibility.

May overhauled Michigan’s roster with transfers from schools like Auburn, Alabama, and Ohio State, to name a few. UC San Diego plucked its best players from Hawai’i-Hilo, Southern Nazarene, Lynn, and Azusa Pacific, all Division II programs.

UC San Diego pulled away late to beat UC Irvine, 75-61 to earn its first Big West Conference Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth on Saturday night.