Women's College Basketball: 3 mid-major programs putting on a show early

Many people who watch college basketball expect to see upsets once we hit the month of March. However, mid-major programs, in particular, can produce upsets all year round. Maybe it's because they already have some underdog swagger about them, but the smaller schools are bringing the heat in the early goings of women's college basketball this season.

Here are a few of the upsets that have happened so far this season, and some more that could come as the months go on.

Fairfield beats Arkansas, 81-67

The Stags were among the best Mid-Major programs last season, earning a spot on the top 25 poll. They won the MAAC last year and met Indiana in the tournament who beat them, sending Fairfield home after one of their best seasons ever.

This year, Fairfield opened play against Arkansas, an SEC program, on the road. The SEC has some of the best college basketball players and teams this year, making this David and Goliath matchup all the more exciting. But, after tip-off in the first quarter, it was all Stags the rest of the way.

Kaety L'Amoureux led Fairfield in scoring with 18 points. The Stags bench was also one of the deciding factors in this game, showing off their depth. This was the first time Fairfield had beaten an SEC opponent.

"It feels great," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said after the win. "We've been thinking about it since we lost at the end of the year last year and we wanted to come back even better. I thought our team came out ready to go and set the tone early and wore them down. Our depth played a factor in wearing them and I'm proud how we kept fresh bodies in and kept going."

Vermont beats Missouri, 62-46

Another SEC program saw defeat from a mid-major, this time at the hands of Vermont.

Missouri opened up the game on a 6-0 run, and the Catamounts answered, finishing the quarter with 23 points. They kept defending well and taking away scoring chances from the Tigers and putting up buckets of their own, resulting in them running away with the victory.

Vermont also had its first victory over an SEC program in history. The Catamounts did not make the tournament last year, as they lost the America East conference game to Maine. As they eye their return, they were ranked third in the America East's preseason poll.

Princeton beats DePaul, 79-58

The Princeton Tigers have been known to cause some major upsets. Last year, they beat programs like Oklahoma, Seton Hall and Villanova. This year, the Tigers are off to a good start, and beating a Big East team earned them an upset win over DePaul.

Princeton trailed before the end of the first half but went on a 10-0 run to make it 37-31 at halftime. They then went 11-0 to start the third quarter, and the Blue Demons could not close the gap.

Princeton was picked first overall in the Ivy League preseason poll, while DePaul was picked ninth in the Big East.