GOLDEN EAGLES RECEIVE BID TO NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Clarion University women’s basketball team is going dancing.

The Golden Eagles (23-6) received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament Sunday night. It is Clarion’s first trip to the NCAA playoffs since 1995, which was the last of five consecutive NCAA appearances for the Golden Eagles. Clarion advanced to the “Elite 8” in 1991 and 1994.  

Clarion, the sixth seed in the East Region, will play third-seeded Charleston, W.Va. (26-4) at 1 p.m. Friday at Anderson College in Anderson, SC. The game will be broadcast of WCUC-FM 91.7 in Clarion and on the internet at www.redzonemedia.com.

It is the second meeting this season between Clarion and Charleston with Charleston beating the Golden Eagles 89-54 Nov. 28 in Charleston.

The winner of the game will play the winner of the California-Wheeling Jesuit contest, which is also being played Friday at Anderson. Cal is the No. 2 seed and Wheeling Jesuit the No. 7. The second round game would be Saturday at Anderson.

The other half of the East Region bracket has top-seeded Anderson playing 8^th seeded Millersville and 5^th seeded Glenville St. playing 4^th seeded Fairmont St. Both of those games are also Friday at Anderson.

The East Region final will be played March 14 at Anderson with the winner advancing to the 2005 NCAA Division II “Elite 8” being played March 23-26 in Hot Springs, Ark.

For a complete NCAA D-II women’s bracket please visit http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/womens/brackets/viewable/2005/DII.

More details will be posted when they become available.