Wingate, Tusculum Earn Bids To NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Wingate University, the 2008 Food Lion SAC Women's Basketball Tournament champion is the top seed in the South Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, while league champion Tusculum College was awarded the second seed.

The number one seed Wingate (23-7 overall) will face number eight seed Johnson C. Smith University (19-9 overall) in the first round in Florence, S.C. Friday (March 14). The three-day event will be hosted by Francis Marion University. The Bulldogs earned an automatic qualification to the 2008 NCAA Division II playoffs by virtue of their victory in the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament championship game Sunday.

First-round games will be played on Friday, March 14, with the semi-finals on Saturday, March 15 and the championship game on Monday, March 17. The South Atlantic Conference occupies the number one seed and the number two seed, as Tusculum College (26-4 overall) anchors the number two position.

For the first time in school history, the Tusculum women's basketball team will be playing in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

The Pioneers (26-4) received an at-large berth and will be the No. 2 seed in the South Atlantic Regional, and will face No. 7 seed Lander University. The South Atlantic Regional will be hosted by Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. The Tusculum/Lander game will be played this Friday at 8 p.m. from the Smith University Center on the FMU campus.

Tusculum, who is enjoying one of its best seasons in school history, has won 11 of its last 12 games, while capturing the program's first ever South Atlantic Conference Championship.

Lander (22-11) won this weekend's Peach Belt Conference Tournament, earning the PBC's automatic bid.

The winner of the Tusculum/Lander game will take on the winner of the No. 3 Clayton State University (18-10) vs. No. 6 Francis Marion (21-8) contest on Saturday at 8 p.m. The regional championship game will be played Monday (March 17) at 7 p.m.

Shaw University, champions of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, will be the No. 4 seed and face fifth-seeded Augusta State University (21-8).

The winner of the single-elimination regional will advance to the NCAA II Elite Eight, Mar. 26-29 in Kearney, Neb.

For more information, visit the NCAA web site at www.ncaa.com.

NCAA II South Atlantic Regional, Florence, S.C.

Friday, March 14, 2008
No. 4 Shaw (21-11) vs. No. 5 Augusta State (19-9), 1 p.m.
No. 1 Wingate (23-7) vs. No. 8 Johnson C. Smith (21-9), 3 p.m.
No. 3 Clayton State (18-10) vs. No. 6 Francis Marion (21-8), 6 p.m.
No. 2 Tusculum (26-4) vs. No. 7 Lander (22-11), 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 15, 2008
Shaw/Augusta State winner vs. Wingate/Johnson C. Smith winner, 6 p.m.
Tusculum/Lander winner vs. Clayton State/Francis Marion winner, 8 p.m.

Monday, March 17, 2008
Championship Game, 7 p.m.
Download printable pdf bracket here