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| Shaw University Lady Bears Coach Jacques Curtis Career Record: 234-103 |
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Jacques Curtis knows what he's saying, even if to you it comes off as brash or cocky or arrogant.
The Shaw women's basketball coach has never run from those labels and has had plenty of success to back up his talk, guiding the Bears to six Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association championships and five NCAA Division II tournament appearances over the past 11 seasons.
So he continues to talk, and this time it's before his team faces Metro State (30-2) today in the Division II round of eight in St. Joseph, Mo. The Bears make their third trip to the quarterfinals and are searching for the program's first trip to the Final Four.
"If we get to the national championship game, it's over," Curtis said. "To me, it's like the CIAA championship and the regional, we don't get there and lose. Anytime we get to a championship game, it's a wrap."
Bracket
Listen to Game via Internet: (Tuesday, March 22, 2011) At 3:30 pm EDT - Shaw University WSHA- FM 88.9 - CLICK HERE
Quarterfinals - Tuesday, March 22 Video at NCAA.com
12 p.m. (CDT) Bentley vs. Clayton State
3:30 p.m. (EDT) Metro State vs. Shaw Lady Bears -- CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO GAME (then click on Shaw vs. Metro State; Click on Speaker symbol next to Shaw Bears logo)
6 p.m. (CDT) Arkansas Tech vs. Michigan Tech
8:30 p.m. (CDT) Northwest Missouri State vs. Cal Poly Pomona
Women's Basketball Stomps Adams State in Second Half to Advance to Elite Eight
DURANGO, Colo. – No. 10 Metro State held Adams State to just four field goals over the final 30 minutes and rally from a 14-point deficit to win 49-36 on Monday night in Durango, Colo., to win the NCAA Division II Central Region championship and advance to the Elite Eight. The Roadrunners improved to 30-2 this season, while ASC’s season ended at 23-10. It is the first 30-win season in school history.
Kristin Valencia had 10 rebounds and five points. Metro State endured a miserable first half, shooting just 19.4 percent and getting outrebounded 26-23. It was all Adams State in the first 10 minutes as ASC held a 20-6 lead with 10:51 left in the half. However, that was the final field goal for the Grizzlies in the first half as the Roadrunners closed on a 15-4 run with all of ASC’s points coming on free throws in the final 10 minutes. Adams State missed its final 17 field goal attempts in the first half.
Box Score
Metro's Bratton takes long route to national quarterfinals
The next thing she knew, Colorado women's basketball legend Tanya Haave, who was familiar with Bratton from when they crossed paths at the University of Denver, was hired as head coach at Metro State. After that, everything seemed to fall into place.
Bratton, 25, returned to the court after sitting out two seasons and will cap her career this week when she leads Metro State into its first appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Roadrunners (30-2) will take on Shaw, N.C. (24-11) in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. today in St. Joseph, Mo. The winner plays in the semifinals Wednesday. The national championship game is Friday night.
"I was done. I was just happy working and going to school part-time," said Bratton, a 5-foot-10 forward and a graduate of Pomona High School.
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