Sports

Local women’s collegiate hoops teams head into postseason action

By LOIS ELFMAN

Special to the AmNews

History will be made at this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament as the field expands to 68 teams for the first time. The women also have their very first March Madness banner, which is part of the NCAA’s attempt to right some of the inequities spotlighted at last year’s Tournament.

The season continues for several teams from New York and New Jersey, but only Princeton University is headed to the Big Dance. With an overall record of 24-4 and undefeated in Ivy League play, the Princeton Tigers earned a national ranking at the end of regular season and will be making their ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They have the 11th seed in the Bridgeport Region and take on the sixth seed, University of Kentucky, on Saturday.

The top seed in the NCAA Tournament goes to the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks also hold the top spot in the Greensboro region, which contains Howard University, winners of the MEAC. The Bison took on Incarnate Word last night for a spot among the 64. The number one seed in the Bridgeport region is NC State. Making its 33rd consecutive Tournament appearance, University of Connecticut has the two seed. The defending National Champion, Stanford Uni-

versity, has the top seed in the Spokane region, which contains Jackson State, winners of the SWAC. The number one seed in the Wichita region is Louisville. Action goes on for five Division I teams from the area in the Postseason WNIT. Columbia University and Fairleigh Dickinson were automatic qualifiers and Fordham, Stony Brook and Seton Hall received at-large bids to the 64-team field. Columbia comes into its first WNIT after its best season ever, making it to the final of the Ivy League Tournament. Junior guard/forward Kaitlyn Davis was named First Team All-Ivy and sophomore guard Abbey Hsu was named Second Team All-Ivy. The Lions took on Holy Cross last night. It will be a battle for New Jersey supremacy when Fairleigh Dickinson and Seton Hall face off tonight. Fordham plays Bucknell tomorrow. All-Ivy First team selection Kaitlyn Davis and her teammates play in the Lions’ first postseason WNIT The WNIT spot for Stony Brook is bit(Columbia Athletics photo) tersweet. The Seawolves were barred from competing in the America East conference tournament, which could have earned them a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, because Stony Brook is leaving the conference for the Colonial Athletic Association at the end of the season. The team plays Virginia Commonwealth tomorrow.

HBCU Texas Southern tips off the NCAA tourney with a win

By VINCENT DAVIS

Special to the AmNews

College basketball’s seasonending showcase known as March Madness officially tipped off on Tuesday with the First Four looking to move on from the field of 68 to the group of 64. Texas Southern, with 6-foot-3 senior guard Bryson Etienne coming off the bench to score a gamehigh 21 points, knocked off Texas A&M-CC 76-67 in the tournament’s opening game.

In the single elimination battle, the Tigers earned their third First Four win in the last four NCAA seasons. The Houston, Texas-based school will now take on the Midwest region’s No. 1 seed, the Kansas Jayhawks, today scheduled for 9:57 p.m. In the second game, former Knicks head coach Mike Woodson took his alma mater, Indiana University, into a late night matchup with Wyoming. Woodson had guided Indiana to a 20-13 record before facing Wyoming. The goal of every team is to advance game-by-game. Getting to the Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final Four and championship Monday, which will be held in New Orleans April 4. Returning to defend their first ever men’s basketball title are the Baylor Bears, last year’s champion. They are the top seed in the East region. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, this season’s overall No. 1 seed, lost to Baylor in last season’s final game. It was their second loss in the championship game and their second

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01/06/22 0 74470 22784 7 Final Four appearance. Arizona is the No. 1 seed in the South region. Representing the tri-state area are the UConn Huskies from the Big East, the Seton Hall Pirates, also from the Big East, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights of the Big Ten, and the St. Peter’s Peacocks of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, coached by former Seton Hall star and Queens native Shaheen Holloway. St. Peters will take on Kentucky tonight at 7 p.m. UConn faces New Mexico State this evening at 6:50 p.m. Seton Hall will take on TCU tomorrow at 9:57 p.m. and Rutgers challenged Notre Dame in a First Four pairing last night (Wednesday).

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