Basketball: Women's
Lady Lions get a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament
It was revealed Monday night that the Lady Lions will be a No. 4 seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament. Coquese Washington’s squad was placed in the East region and will take on No. 13 seed UTEP in the first round in Baton Louge, LA, on Saturday at 5:15.
If the Lady Lions (24-6) can handle UTEP (29-3), they will play either No. 5 LSU or No. 12 San Diego State in the next round. The immediate goal for Penn State is to move on to the Sweet Sixteen, where the regional games will be played in Kingston, RI. The Lady Lions are looking at a potential matchup with perennial powerhouse Connecticut (29-4), the No. 1 seed of the East region.
The Lady Lions were widely expected to be either a No. 3 or No. 4 seed. Though they were projected to be a No. 3 seed in ESPN Bracketologist Charlie Creme’s bracket, they wound up a spot lower.
The No. 1 seeds in this year’s tournament are Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford, and undefeated Baylor, who is looking to make history by becoming the first 40-0 team in women’s basketball history. They would have to win the tournament to do so.
The fourth seed represents the highest placement in the tournament under Washington, the fifth-year coach. The Lady Lions have never won a national championship, but they’ve reached eleven Sweet Sixteens and a Final Four in 2000 under former head coach Rene Portland.
To see the entire bracket with game times and locations, click here.