Seminoles Earn No. 2 Seed in Women’s Tournament

Monday March 16, 2015
Courtesy of TheACC.com
LINK: EIGHT ACCWBB TEAMS SELECTED TO THE 2015 NCAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

ACC matches a league record with eight teams selected to the Championship field

Check out the complete 2015 NCAA Bracket

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Eight Atlantic Coast Conference teams are among the 64-team field for the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship announced Monday evening. The eight teams selected to the tournament match a league record set in 2014 and are the most of any conference this year.

ACC Champion Notre Dame (31-2) was selected as a No. 1 seed, Florida State (29-4) a No. 2 seed, Louisville (25-6) a No. 3 seed, Duke (21-10) and North Carolina (24-8) No. 4 seeds, Syracuse (21-9) a No. 8 seed, Pittsburgh (19-11) a No. 10 seed and Miami (19-12) No. 11 seed. It is also the 21st consecutive year that at least four ACC teams have been selected to the NCAA Championship field.

First- and second-round games will be played at 16 home sites Friday, March 20 through Monday, March 23, with the 16 second-round winners moving on to the four regional sites. The Greensboro Regional (Greensboro Coliseum) and the Oklahoma City Regional (Chesapeake Energy Arena) will be played on Friday, March 27 and Sunday, March 29, while the Albany Regional (Times Union Center) and the Spokane Regional (Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena) will be held Saturday, March 28 and Monday, March 30. The four regional winners will advance to the 2015 NCAA Women’s Final Four, April 5 and 7 in Tampa Bay, Fla. (Amalie Arena).

Notre Dame, which will be appearing in the NCAA postseason field for the 20th consecutive year, is the No. 1 seed in the Oklahoma City Region. The Fighting Irish will host No. 16 seed Montana (24-8) on Friday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Notre Dame has advanced to the Final Four each of the last four seasons, six times overall, and owns the 2001 NCAA Championship. The Fighting Irish will be participating in their 22nd NCAA Championship and own a 46-20 record in the tournament.

Florida State was awarded a No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Region, the highest seed for the Seminoles in program history. FSU will host No. 15 seed Alabama State on Saturday, March 21 at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Florida State is making its 14th NCAA Championship appearance under head coach Sue Semrau and owns a 14-13 record in NCAA Championship play. The Noles have advanced to the Sweet 16 twice and earned the program’s only berth in the Elite Eight in 2010.

Louisville, which is making its fifth straight and 18th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, is the No. 3 seed in the Albany Region. The Cardinals will play No. 14 seed BYU on Saturday in Tampa, Florida, at 4 p.m. on ESPN2. Louisville has advanced to two Final Fours, three Elite Eights and five Sweet 16s, and own a 22-17 mark in tournament play.

Duke, which will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 21st consecutive year, drew the No. 4 seed in the Spokane Region. The Blue Devils will host No. 13 seed Albany (24-8) on Friday at Noon on ESPN2. Duke has advanced to the Sweet 16 in 15 of the last 17 seasons, including a run to the Elite Eight in four of the last five seasons. The Blue Devils, who will be appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time overall, own an all-time record of 53-21 in the Big Dance.

North Carolina, also a No. 4 seed, will participate in the Big Dance for a league-best 26th time in program history. Entering the postseason with a 45-24 all-time NCAA Tournament record, UNC will host No. 13 seed Liberty (26-6) in the Greensboro Region at Carmichael Arena on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ESPN2. The Tar Heels have advanced to the Sweet 16 a total of 16 times and have earned a berth in the Final Four three times. North Carolina won the 1994 NCAA Championship.

Earning its third straight NCAA Tournament berth is Syracuse, which grabbed the No. 8 seed in the Greensboro Region. The Orange plays No. 9 seed Nebraska (21-10) in Columbia, South Carolina, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday on ESPN2.

Pittsburgh, the No. 10 seed in the Spokane Region, returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009. The Panthers will face No. 7 seed Chattanooga (29-3) in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Miami, the No. 11 seed in the Oklahoma City Region, earned its 10th NCAA Tournament berth and first since 2013. The Hurricanes face No. 6 seed Washington (23-9) in Iowa City, Iowa, on Friday at Noon on ESPN2.