Hampton to face Monmouth in opening round of NCAA Tournament;
winner to meet Villanova
March 13, 2006
Hampton, Va. – The
2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament pairings have been
announced and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
(MEAC) champion Pirates of Hampton University will take on
North East Conference champion Monmouth in the opening round
play-in game in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday.
The Pirates are making their third overall appearance in the
NCAA Tournament and their first since 2002. In their
first ever tournament appearance in 2001 the Pirates gained
national recognition by becoming just the fourth No. 15 seed
to defeat a No. 2 seed with their 58-57 win over Iowa State
in Boise, Idaho.
Hampton (16-15) made its way to the NCAA Tournament by winning
four games in four days at the MEAC Tournament, ending a dramatic
tournament run with a 60-56 win over defending champion Delaware
State.
The Hawks of Monmouth (18-14) are making their second trip
to the tournament in the past three years, falling 85-62 to
Mississippi State in 2004.
This will be the second time that the Pirates and the Hawks
will meet on the hardwood with Monmouth capturing a 64-52 victory
over Hampton back on Nov. 24, 2003 at the Paradise Jam Tournament
in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The winner of Tuesday night’s game will move on to face
the Minneapolis region’s No. 1 seeded team Villanova
on Friday at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
|
