Women's Hoops Earns Fourth NCAA Tournament Appearance, Playing 14-Seed Manhattan In First Round at 8:06 (CT) on ESPN2
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The Lady Bulldogs have been named a 3-seed in the Midwest
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The 12th-ranked Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (23-7) earned their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance, all under the tutelage of head coach Sharon Fanning. The Lady Bulldogs have been named a 3-seed in the Midwest region playing 14-seed Manhattan College in the first round of NCAA competition on Saturday, March 22 at 8:06 p.m. (CT) on ESPN2, at "The Pit" in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
This is the second time that MSU has been named a three seed, the other was in 2000. Previous MSU tournament appearances were in 1999 as the seventh seed in Lubbock, Texas when the Lady Bulldogs fell to NC State, 76-57. In 2000 as a third seed MSU defeated St. Peters, 94-60, before falling to UAB, 78-72. Last year MSU was a 12-seed in Lubbock again, first defeating Boston College in the first round, 65-59, and then losing to Texas Tech, 77-55.
This marks Coach Fanning's fifth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament. While head coach at Kentucky, she took the Wildcats to the first round in 1991.
Manhattan finished the season 20-9, winning the 2003 EUS Communications MAAC Championships to advance to the NCAAs. The two teams have faced each other before. The Jaspers defeated MSU, 52-32, Dec. 28, 1985 in the Wagner Classic in Staten Island, N.Y.
This year, the two schools have shared an opponent in Tulsa. While the Lady Bulldogs breezed by Tulsa, 92-66, in the preseason WNIT quarterfinals, Manhattan fell to the Golden Hurricane 68-60 in December.
Quotes
Head coach Sharon Fanning
On having a week off ...
"A typical practice you cut back this week a lot and our time somewhat and get them ready for this road trip. We just have to focus and be our best this weekend."
On losing last week ...
"I think the kids needed a break, but it is something that happens, you take whatever situation you are given. That is like saying do you want to go to New Mexico? I felt like we left everything on the floor in our last two games. It's disappointing when you lose, but you grow from it."
On being a No. 3 seed ...
"We anticipated that it would be a three seed. We thought possibly had we beaten Tennessee that it could have moved us to a two seed."
Sophomore guard Tan White
On week off ...
"Last week gave us a chance to relax a little bit. This week coming up we have a week in advance of who we are playing. It gave us a chance to improve."
On playing in New Mexico ...
"I've never been there before but they (other players) have been there before. It is a tough atmosphere, that is any road game, everybody has their crowd behind them. I feel that if we go in focused we will do well."
Senior Forward LaToya Thomas
On being a three seed ...
"I don't think it is pressure for anybody, I think it is pressure on the number one seed. We are just going to play every game."
"We have to come out with that fire and intensity. This is my last go round, being a senior. I have to come out and play hard."
On career at MSU ...
"It's been great, it has meant a lot to me to be so close to home so my family can come to see me.
On playing in New Mexico ...
"I know we go down a long tunnel to get to the floor. They have great fan support. They get ready for their team."
Head coach Sharon Fanning
From Monday, March 17
"I think I described the team going in to the SEC Tournament as a team that found a way to win. A lot of those wins down the stretch were not pretty and there were different ways that we had to win and different people. You look at the Auburn game to have that win to get a first round bye and you look at Jessica (Carter) coming in and making big shots."
"In the Tennessee game you have Blessing (Chekwa) go down, there was a adjustment there relative to who was going to step up and give us those minutes."
"It's a whole new season. Everybody is looking to go 6-0, there taking one game at a time and that is what we are doing. Some of these young ladies are going to have to step up in a very big way and this is the time of the year that everybody wants to play an SEC team. We beat New Mexico two years ago in 'The Pitt' you know if they have an opportunity they want to see us again. Manhattan is coming off 20 wins and winning a conference championship. Everybody in this tournament has been successful. We have to play as a team, putting it on the line. Hopefully we can pick up right where we left off this last tournament."
On building the tradition at MSU ...
"From day one it has been about the young ladies. The adminstration was excited and enthusiastic. The players have made a commitment to this program. We try to out-work people. When we win a championship, we want to be consistent and be able to compete for it every year. I'm just a small part of it. Hopefully we'll continue to climb."
On coaching Tan White and LaToya Thomas ...
"LaToya from a standpoint from scoring, we're surely going to miss that shot. It's been pretty automatic. What I have been pleased with is how her total game has progressed and her as a young lady and how she has matured."
"I think Tan (White) is going to improve. The thing about Tan is that she listens and that she has a lot of energy and she really wants to get things right."
"You put the two of them together and just from an offensive standpoint, but they have improved on the defensive side. I have never coached two players like this together and I don't know if anybody has. You are blessed when you have players of that level."