March 7, 2010
Fayetteville, NC - The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced Sunday night via a live selection show broadcast that the 2010 CIAA Women's Basketball Champion Fayetteville State will receive an automatic bid to its DII Atlantic Region Tournament. The No. 4 seeded Lady Broncos are slated to take on the No. 5 seed Seton Hill (22-7) on Friday, March 12 at the Hammermill Center on the campus of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Fayetteville State will be making its sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its second straight. Last season, FSU fell to Gannon, 68-53, in the tournament's first round. Head Coach Eva Patterson-Heath will continue her remarkable first year as a collegiate coach after winning the conference championship. The last Lady Bronco victory in the tournament was in 2002 when FSU defeated Catawba 80-72.
Seton Hill received an at-large bid after falling in the quarterfinals of the WVIAC (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) tournament on March 3.
Gannon was selected as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Regional and will serve as host to the Broncos Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13 in a new regional format this season. Instead of the traditional eight-team regional format, the Atlantic region has split its tournament into a pair of four-team subregionals hosted by the top two seeds.
Gannon (33-0) will face No. 8 Fairmont State (21-9) at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Gannon-Fairmont State and FSU-Seton Hill winners will meet on Saturday in the regional semifinals. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The other half of the bracket hosted by No. 2 seed California (Pa.) will have the host Vulcans (23-7) playing No. 7 Virginia State (22-6). No. 3 West Liberty State (22-8) will also battle No. 6 Millersville (23-5) at Hamer Hall.
The two subregional winners will meet at the highest remaining seed on March 15 for the regional championship and the right to play in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight March 23-26 in St. Joseph, Missouri.
The complete NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament bracket can be found at http://www.ncaa.com.
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional (Gannon Subregional)
Friday, March 12, 2010 - Hammermill Center
No. 1 Gannon (33-0) vs. No. 8 Fairmont State (21-9) - 6:00 p.m.
No. 4 Fayetteville State (20-9) vs. No. 5 Seton Hill (22-7) - 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Hammermill Center
Gannon/Fairmont State winner vs. Fayetteville State/Seton Hill winner - 7:00 p.m.
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional (California Subregional)
Friday, March 12, 2010 - Hamer Hall
No. 2 California (Pa.) (23-7) vs. No. 7 Virginia State (22-6) - TBA
No. 3 West Liberty State (22-8) vs. No. 6 Millersville (23-5) - TBA
Saturday, March 13, 2010 - Hamer Hall
California/Virginia State winner vs. West Liberty State/Millersville winner - 7:00 p.m.
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional (Championship Game)
Monday, March 15, 2010
Site of Highest Remaining Seed
Subregional winners - 7:00 p.m.
