FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORANGE, Calif. – The Chapman University women’s basketball team has earned its sixth consecutive NCAA Division III tournament berth, but for the first time in five years the Panthers will not host the first round of competition. Chapman will head to Tacoma, Wash. where first and second round play will be hosted by Pacific Lutheran University in a four-team tournament. The winner of this regional bracket will advance to the sectional playoffs March 10-11. Chapman (18-8) will face Northwest Conference champion and host No. 15 Pacific Lutheran (22-3) on Friday at 8 p.m. while back-to-back SCIAC champion Cal Lutheran (19-6) will square off with NWC runner-up and No. 21-ranked Puget Sound (22-5) at 6 p.m. The winners will play at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. Friday’s Chapman-Pacific Lutheran game will be broadcast via the internet on KLAY 1180 AM in Tacoma. The selection is the seventh in nine years for the Panthers, who went as deep as the "Sweet 16" in 2001-02. Chapman lost by 14 points, 64-50, to Pacific Lutheran at the Redlands Tournament last November. It was also the Lutes who eliminated the Panthers from the playoffs in that “Sweet 16” season. Puget Sound knocked Chapman out of the tournament in 2004. Chapman split a pair of games with Cal Lutheran this season after defeating the Regals in the NCAA’s first round in 2005. Chapman finished the season winning six of its final seven games, including a third place finish at the Division III Independents West Region championship tournament last weekend. The Panthers are led by junior center Sarah Brands (11.3 points, 6.4 rebounds per game) and sophomore point guard Jessica Kunisaki (9.5 points, 6.6 assists per game). Meanwhile, sophomore guard Melissa Nakamura leads the team with 37 three-pointers and is averaging 10.2 points. Chapman was one of four Independent schools to earn a Pool ‘B’ playoff berth. The Chapman University men’s basketball team appeared poised for their first NCAA Division III tournament appearance after an 8-0 start – the school’s best in 60 years – a strong finish that included winning 12 of their last 13 games, a first place showing in the Division III Independents West Region championship tournament and its first 20-win season since 2000-01. However, the Panthers were not one of the four Independent teams selected to the tournament, once again.
NCAA Division III tournament bracket available online: |
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