Cal men, women chosen for NCAA tourneys
California University received a double dose of good news late Sunday when the Vulcans’ men’s and women’s basketball team were selected for the NCAA Division II tournaments. And both teams will be getting a rematch in the first round.
The Cal men (21-9) are the third seed in the Atlantic Regional, which will be played at Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana. The Vulcans will play sixth-seeded Fairmont State (23-7) of the Mountain East Conference on Saturday. Tipoff is noon.
The game is rematch of a wildly exciting contest played at the Convocation Center on Nov. 18, when Fairmont State overcame a deficit in the final minute to knock off Cal, 95-92.
The Vulcans will be making their first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2008 and 14th overall, highlighted by Final Four appearances in both 1992 and 1996.
PSAC Champion IUP (29-2) received the top seed. The Crimson Hawks will face eighth-seeded and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association winner Fayetteville State (21-8). In other first-round games in the regional, fourth-seeded Mercyhurst (24-6) plays fifth-seeded Millersville (25-6) in a rematch of the semifinals from the PSAC tournament, and second-seeded and Mountain East Champion West Liberty (29-2) meets seventh-seeded West Virginia State (23-7).
The Atlantic Regional’s winner will advance to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind., March 22-26.
The California women are the No. 2 seed in the Atlantic Regional, which will be played at Glenville, W.Va.
The Vulcans (24-5) will play PSAC West rival Indiana (21-8) in the opening round Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Cal defeated IUP twice during the regular season by scores of 62-46 in January and 64-59 in February. The Crimson Hawks received an at-large berth despite losing in the first round of the PSAC tournament
Glenville State (29-1) is the top seed in the regional and will play eighth-seeded and CIAA champion Lincoln (22-7). In the other first-round games, fourth-seeded Gannon (24-6), the PSAC champion, plays fifth-seeded Shepherd (24-7) and third-seeded Kutztown (26-6) meets sixth-seeded Mountain East champion Charleston (21-8).
The women’s Elite Eight will be played in Birmingham, Ala., from March 21-25.