SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 32-team field for the 34th annual NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship. The event will be held for the third straight year at the Frankfort Convention Center in Frankfort, Ky., March 19-25.
The Master’s College women’s basketball team will face Bethel of Tennessee in the first round of the tournament on Wednesday, March 19. Tipoff is set for 10:15 AM (EST).
“I think that we’ve been playing pretty good basketball and we are excited to be back in the tournament,” commented Lady Mustang head coach Dan Waldeck. “I really like how we have developed and the bracket we landed in. However, any time you make it to the national tournament, you are always going to play quality teams…we’re going to need to be at our best.”
Currently boasting a 24-8 (10-4 GSAC) record, the seventh-ranked Lady Mustangs enter its bracket with an At-Large No. 2 bid. It will be TMC’s ninth appearance in the tournament.
As for the Wildcats, Bethel received an At-Large No.13 bid for the tournament after going 21-10 (14-6 Southern States Athletic Conference) on the season and will be making its fifth appearance in the national tournament.
“Bethel is a great team which is unranked,” further assessed Waldeck. I’m a good friend with the head coach (Chris Nelson) and he runs a talented team. It’s always fun to play someone you respect.”
The last time the two squads faced each other was November 19, 2011, when the Lady Mustangs upset the then sixth-ranked Wildcats 80-70 in Jackson, Tennessee.
Last year, TMC finished third in the Golden State Athletic Conference and earned a No. 12 postseason ranking in the NAIA. A 25-5 regular season record qualified the Lady Mustangs for the their first trip in five years to the national tournament where they were knocked out in the first round by Carroll of Montana.
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