Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh heads to NCAA Tournament as a 13 seed
3/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The wait was well worth it for the Lehigh women’s basketball team as it found out that it earned a No. 13 seed in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. After over 40 minutes of waiting the Mountain Hawks found out they will be traveling to Ames, Iowa to take on the No. 4 seed Iowa State Cyclones on Sunday March 21 at 9:30 p.m. EST in the Dayton Region.
“We’re very excited, I’m happy for the team, the program and the league,” head coach Sue Troyan said. “It shows that all the work we did throughout the year was well respected and now we have the opportunity to go out and get a win. With a 15 or 16 seed there usually is a big gap, but that gap is less significant with the 13-4 matchup.”
Erica Prosser gave her thoughts on earning a No. 13 seed, “Last year we were a little disappointed with our seed and it’s very exciting to get the 13 seed this year and represent the league.”
The Mountain Hawks gathered at the Goosey Gander in Bethlehem with friends and family to anxiously await their fate. The Brown and White is returning to the NCAA Tournament after earning a No. 15 seed last season and losing in the first round to No. 2 Auburn. The Mountain Hawks No. 13 seed ties Holy Cross for the second highest seed a Patriot League team has received. The Crusaders were a No. 13 seed back in 2003 and a No. 11 in 1991.
Lehigh will now turn its attention to the Cyclones who are coming off a 23-7 season and finished in second-place in the Big 12.
“We’ll know more tomorrow when we watch a little film,” Troyan said. “The little we do know is that we match up pretty well with them because they play a similar style to us. They have a good point guard and a talented inside player that is pretty versatile. Our kids will have some confidence because we match up well.”
Alexa Williams give her thoughts on having almost a week to prepare, “I think it’s plenty of time to get prepared and it will allow our upperclassmen a few more days to get rest.”
The Mountain Hawks will head to Iowa as an underdog, but Troyan expects to compete, “We don’t want to settle with just being part of the Tournament, we would like to go there and have some success.”
Tickets for the Mountain Hawks’ first-round NCAA Tournament game will go on sale Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. All orders must be made by phone or in person at the Lehigh Athletics Ticket Office, located in Grace Hall. One ticket will grant admission into one session of games (two total games) and the cost is $16 for adults and $11 for students per ticket. Tickets for the general public will go on sale beginning at 10:00 on Thursday morning.
The game can be heard live on WLVR (91.3) and Lehighsports.com with Jeff Tourial calling the action beginning at 9:00 EDT.
Photo credit: Cynthia Underhill, Easton Express-Times
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