GREENEVILLE, Tenn. ---- The Tusculum College women's basketball team is on their way to Greenwood, S.C. and the 2010 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. The team, coaching staff and support staff members left early Thursday morning from the Greeneville campus to make the 183-mile trek to Lander University, the host of this year's regional.
The Pioneers (20-9) have a full day of activities ahead of them in preparation for Friday's first round match-up with 19th-ranked Clayton State University at 2:30 p.m. from the Finis Horne Arena on the Lander campus.
Following checking into its hotel headquarters on Thursday, Tusculum will have a 55-minute practice at Horne Arena Thursday afternoon. Later in the evening, student-athletes, coaches and team personnel of the eight colleges and universities in this year's regional will be attending a reception, hosted by Lander.
On Friday morning, the Pioneers will have a 30-minute walk through at Horne Arena. The Tusculum, Clayton State game will be the second of four contests on tap for Friday. Francis Marion University and Newberry College will tip-off the regional at noon, followed by the Tusculum/Clayton State contest. At 6 p.m., host and top-seed Lander will face Anderson University, followed by Lenoir-Rhyne University and Carson-Newman College at 8:30 p.m.
Fans that can't make it to Greenwood can listen to the game on the Pioneer Sports Network at WSMG 1450 AM and on the Internet at www.tusculumpioneers.com. Justin Jeffers will be in Greenwood to describe all the action. Lander University will also be providing live statistics for all tournament games.
Tusculum is making its third straight NCAA postseason appearance, but earned its first automatic bid by winning the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship by defeating Newberry, 67-55 on Sunday in Hickory, N.C. It was the Pioneers' first SAC Tournament championship in school history.
Friday's first round game with Clayton State will mark the second time the Pioneers and Lakers have met this year. CSU edged Tusculum 87-79 in overtime at the OrthoCarolina Classic in Wingate, N.C. on Dec. 19. It will also be a rematch of last season's second round regional contest with CSU as the Lakers posted a 79-68 win over the Pioneers in Hickory, N.C. The Pioneers are 0-3 all-time against Clayton State.
The Pioneers (No. 7 seed in this year's regional) are riding a six-game winning streak entering this year's NCAA Tournament and have also won 11 of its last 13 outings for first-year head coach Adell Harris.
Leading the charge for Tusculum is South Atlantic Conference and NCAA Southeast Regional Player of the Year Jasmine Gunn. The 4-11 junior guard from Nashville, Tenn., is averaging 20.7 points, five assists and three steals per game. In her three SAC Tournament games, she averaged 24.7 points per contest, earning her SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Clayton State is making their sixth straight NCAA postseason appearance as the No. 2 seed Lakers won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament by knocking off then 18th-ranked Francis Marion University, 94-75 in Sunday's PBC title game. Clayton State is the defending Southeast Regional champion as the Lakers advanced to last year's NCAA II Elite Eight.
The winner of the Tusculum, Clayton State game will face either Francis Marion or Newberry in Saturday's regional semifinal at 5 p.m. The regional championship game will be Monday night at 7 p.m. at Horne Arena.
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