INDIANAPOLIS - Despite Anderson University women's basketball's setback in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship on Sunday, the Trojans were one of five teams to receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament as they earned the No. 3 seed and will square off with No. 6 seed Newberry on Friday in a rematch of the conference tournament title game at host Limestone, announced by the committee on Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
The Trojans received the highest seed of any South Atlantic Conference team in the region, as AU is one of five teams from the SAC to earn a bid. In addition to Anderson and Newberry, the duo is joined by fifth-seeded Wingate, sixth-seeded Carson-Newman and eighth-seeded Catawba, as a SAC school will be represented in every contest of the regional tournament.
Anderson and Newberry will meet for the fourth time this season, as the Trojans claimed the regular-season sweep of the Wolves, marking the first sweep by either team in the all-time conference series. Despite the back-to-back regular-season wins, Newberry captured the SAC Tournament championship over the Trojans with a 64-58 win. The setback snapped an 18-game winning streak, AU's longest since the 2007-08 season.
Every game of the Southeast Regional will be played at Limestone's Timken Center, as the Saints claimed the No. 1 seed after claiming the Conference Carolinas Tournament this past weekend. LC enters the tournament ranked No. 2 nationally and boasts a 30-1 overall record.
Peach Belt Conference champion Columbus State, which was slotted sixth in the latest national D2SIDA Media Poll, earned the No. 2 seed, while PBC rival Lander took the No. 4 seed and will matchup with Wingate in the opening round.
Anderson seeks its first win in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 when it defeated Fairmont State in the opening round, as it looks to improve on its 6-8 all-time record in the annual tourney. Overall, the berth into the NCAA Tournament is the eighth trip in program history.
NCAA Southeast Region - Gaffney,
S.C.
No. 3 Anderson vs. No. 6 Newberry, 12
p.m.
No. 2 Columbus State vs. No. 7 Carson-Newman, 2:30 p.m.
No. 1 Limestone vs. No. 8 Catawba, 5 p.m.
No. 4 Lander vs. No. 5 Wingate, 7:30 p.m.
FULL
BRACKET
