West Division co-champion Howard Payne earned the right to host the 2011 American Southwest Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament at Brownwood Coliseum in Brownwood, Texas, beginning Friday and lasting through Sunday (Feb. 25-27).
The entire eight-team, single elimination event will be available for fans through free live video streaming with audio provided by HPU and the ASC. The Conference will have a “Tournament Central” page on www.ASCsports.org where the link to video can be accessed as well as links to live stats, live local radio feeds, box scores, game recaps, photos and updated brackets.
HPU (18-7, 15-6 ASC) and head coach Josh Prock, who shared the West Division title with Hardin-Simmons but held the tie-breaker advantage, will begin play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday against East Division No. 4 seed Ozarks (14-11). HPU won the national championship in 2008 and has claimed conference titles in four of the last six seasons, including the last time it hosted the ASC event in 2007. The Lady Jackets have a league-best .789 winning percentage (15-4) in the tournament. Ozarks returns to the ASC tourney after a three-year absence.
Defending conference champion Louisiana College (22-2, 18-2 ASC) and head coach Jason Tinsley enter as victors of the East Division. In 2010, the Lady Wildcats became the first team from the East to ever win the ASC tournament and were under the direction of Janice Joseph-Richard, who passed away in December after a long battle with breast cancer. Nationally-ranked LC begins its title defense Friday when it tips off at noon against the West Division’s No. 4 seed, Mary Hardin-Baylor (16-9). UMHB is making its sixth-straight appearance in the tournament.
West Division co-champion Hardin-Simmons (18-6), which has won an ASC-record seven league titles and is the only team to have appeared in all 13 ASC tournaments, enters as the West No. 2 seed and will open play at 2:30 p.m. on Friday against the East’s No. 3 seed, Mississippi College (17-8). MC has only missed one ASC tournament, in 2002.
Texas-Dallas (20-5) is the East’s No. 2 seed and at 5 p.m. on Friday will take on West No. 3 seed McMurry (16-9). UTD has clinched a spot in five consecutive ASC tournaments after never appearing before that. McMurry won the conference title in 2006.
The semifinals are scheduled to tip off Saturday at 2 p.m. (LC-UMHB winner vs. HSU-MC winner) and 4:30 p.m. (UTD-McM winner vs. HPU-UO winner), with the championship game coming Sunday at 2 p.m.
The ASC championship tournament winner earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.
Admission prices for each day will be $6 for adults and $3 for students/seniors. No complimentary pass lists will be accepted.
2011 ASC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
-Hosted by Howard Payne University / Brownwood, TX/ Brownwood Coliseum-
Game 1: [E1] Louisiana College (22-2) vs. [W4] Mary Hardin-Baylor (16-9), 12:00 p.m.
Game 2: [W2] Hardin-Simmons (18-6) vs. [E3] Mississippi College (17-8), 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: [E2] Texas-Dallas (20-5) vs. [W3] McMurry (16-9), 5 p.m.
Game 4: [W1] Howard Payne (18-7) vs. [E4] Ozarks (14-11), 7:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 4:30 p.m.
