Four PBC Women's Basketball Teams Advance to NCAA Tournament

Four PBC Women’s Teams Advance to NCAA Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, IND – Four Peach Belt Conference women’s basketball teams found out on Sunday night that they will be among the 64 competing for a national championship as the NCAA released the tournament field. Francis Marion, Lander, Clayton State and Augusta State will all compete for the title.

Clayton State will be the highest-seeded Peach Belt team in the regional. The Lakers are the #3 seed after going 18-10 this year. Clayton State will be making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and first since advancing all the way to the Elite Eight, then the final four, in 2007. The Lakers will take on host and sixth-seeded Francis Marion in the first round.

Augusta State returns to the NCAA field for the first time since advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight in 2004. The Lady Jaguars, 19-9 overall, will be making their third overall appearance and will be the #5 seed in the regional. ASU will meet fourth-seeded Shaw in the first round.

Francis Marion will host the South Atlantic Regional tournament as a #6 seed. The Patriots will make their first NCAA appearance since 2001 and will host the regional for the first time since 1998. Now 21-8 on the season, Francis Marion will be making their fifth overall NCAA field since joining the PBC and will take on #3 seed Clayton State in the first round.

Lander won the PBC’s automatic bid on Sunday with their 68-65 win over Armstrong Atlantic State in the PBC Tournament final. The 22-11 Bearcats will be making their first appearance since 2004 and their third since joining the PBC. Lander will be the #7 seed in the regional and will take on #2 Tusculum in the first round.

The NCAA South Atlantic Regional will begin on Friday, March 14 at the Smith Center on the campus of Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C. Game times will be announced at a later date.