Lady Eagles in NCAA field as No. 6 seed
March 8, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS - The Carson-Newman Lady Eagles (19-10) are the No. 6 seed and will face third-seeded Clayton State University on Friday in Hickory, N.C. in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament.
South Atlantic Conference-foe Lenoir-Rhyne University is the Southeast Regional Tournament's top seed and will serve as the host institution.
The Lady Eagles grabbed the bid on the strength of a 19-10 year and a fourth-place finish in SAC play.
C-N draws a Clayton State team that finished the regular season 23-5 and 16-4 in Peach Belt Conference play, which was good for second place in the PBC regular-season standings. Both teams received "at-large" bids.
Friday's C-N/Clayton State winner will face the winner of No. 2 Tusculum College and No. 7 Lander University, who won the Peach Belt Tournament, in Saturday's Southeast Regional Semifinals.
LRU will host Conference Carolinas' tournament champion Anderson University, who drew the No. 8 seed. No. 4 Francis Marion University and No. 5 South Carolina-Aiken, both of the Peach Belt Conference, complete the bracket.
The Lady Lakers are a familiar NCAA-foe for Carson-Newman. The two teams have squared off in each of C-N's last two postseason appearances, splitting the two meetings.
The Lady Eagles last NCAA appearance came in 2007, when C-N lost as the No. 8 seed to the host and top-seeded Lakers in the first round, 60-36.
C-N is 3-4 against the regional field. The Lady Eagles beat both Lander and Anderson in November meetings, but combined to go 1-4 against Tusculum (1-2) and Lenoir-Rhyne (0-2).
The regional champions will advance to the NCAA Women's Elite Eight March 24, 25 and 27 at Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas. St. Mary's University (Texas) and the San Antonio Sports will host the Elite Eight.
Game times are expected to be announced Monday.
NCAA Division II Women's Southeast Regional Tournament
At Hickory, N.C. (All times TBA)
Friday, March 13, 2009
No . 6 Carson-Newman vs. No. 3 Clayton State
No. 2 Tusculum vs. No. 7 Lander
No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 8 Anderson
No. 4 Francis Marion University vs. No. 5 USC Aiken
Saturday, March 14, 2009
C-N/Clayton St. winner vs. Tusculum/Lander winner
Lenoir-Rhyne/Anderson winner vs. Francis Marion/USC Aiken winner
Monday, March 16, 2009
Semifinal winners
