Teams: Women's Basketball: Press Releases

Monday, March 3, 2008

JUMBOS EARN FIRST-EVER NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTH WITH AT-LARGE SELECTION

NCAA Tournament Bracket

MEDFORD -- The 2007-08 Tufts women's basketball team earned the 36-year old program's first-ever NCAA Tournament selection on Sunday night when the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Committee announced the 63 teams named to the 2008 NCAA Tournament field. The Jumbos will play in a four-team regional at Mt. St. Mary College in Newburgh, New York beginning Friday (Mar. 7). Tufts plays fellow Massachusetts foe Wheaton College in the first round. Tip-off is at 5:00 pm.

Tufts lost the NESCAC championship game to Amherst on Sunday afternoon, 59-53. However, with a best-ever record of 23-3 the Jumbos were considered a lock to earn one of the at-large (Pool C) berths into the national tournament. They were #1 in the NCAA Northeast rankings released in each of the last two weeks. Tufts has a 3-2 record against other teams in the tournament, with wins over Brandeis, Salem State and Bowdoin teams that were also invited. The Jumbos lost twice to NESCAC automatic berth Amherst.

The Tufts-Wheaton (22-6) winner will face the winner between Mt. St. Mary (25-2) and Albright (20-6) in the round of 32 on Saturday at 5:00 pm at Mt. St. Mary. That winner moves on to the "Sweet 16" March 14.

#