Tuesday, March 16, 2010

MEAC women's champ Hampton draws 15 seed; opens against Duke

Hampton University gives coach David Six a three-year contract extension.

HAMPTON, VA - One by one, David Six introduced the people responsible for the Hampton University women's basketball team's first NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons --the managers, the assistant coaches, the players. He paused when he saw 4-year-old Sallie Dawson standing in the doorway. "This is our inspiration," Six said. Sallie, who's had four surgeries because of heart and kidney abnormalities, sat with the players as the NCAA women's selection show aired, holding a stuffed Pirate and wearing her Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship cap backward. An avid Lady Pirates fan, Sallie watched with a crowd of people at an Armstrong Stadium football meeting room as HU learned it will play Duke in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Lady Pirates (20-11), the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament champions and a 15th seed, will take on second-seeded Duke (27-5) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in Durham, N.C., in the Memphis regional. "To be honest, it still hasn't hit me yet," said junior forward Quanneisha Perry, the MEAC defensive player of the year who, like several of her teammates, had a piece of the net HU players cut down in Winston-Salem, N.C., tied to her cap. "It's like just another game. When the horn sounded, it was like, 'I'm a MEAC champion,' but it still hasn't got to me yet."

READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.

READ RELATED ARTICLES:
Duke Receives No. 2 Seed in Midwest; Will Host Hampton

ACC Places 6 Teams In NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

Plenty of reasons for small crowds at ACC tourney

No comments: