A year after the Ouachita Baptist University men’s basketball team was selected for its first ever NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament, the Ouachita women’s basketball team earned the right to go to the Big Dance as the Lady Tigers are one of 64 teams selected to play in the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Ouachita (21-8) didn’t have to wait too long to hear its name called as the South Region was the very first regional called during the NCAA Division II Selection Show Sunday night.
“I am very proud of all of you,” Ouachita head coach Garry Crowder said. “We are on the good side of the bracket and these are all good teams. We just want to enjoy this moment and want to get to the Elite Eight.”
The Lady Tigers, a No. 7 seed, will play Fort Valley State (26-4), winners of the SIAC Conference and No. 2 seed, 1 p.m., Friday, March 13. Delta State, which won the Gulf South Conference Tournament Sunday, is the host institution and plays No. 8 seed Valdosta State in the opening round at 6 p.m. Arkansas-Monticello, a No. 5 seed, takes on No. 4 Rollins at 8 p.m., while Tampa, No. 3 seed, meets No. 6 Clark Atlanta at 3 p.m.
I think it diminishes the women’s accomplishments to lead this story ABOUT the women with “A year after the Ouachita Baptist University MEN’S basketball team…” I was expecting to be blown away with a great line about the women’s season, not a comparison to last year’s men’s team.