Temple University Athletics
Temple to Face Nebraska in NCAA Tournament First Round
3.12.07 | Women's Basketball
March 12, 2007
PHILADELPHIA- The Temple women's basketball team (24-7) will make its fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 18, when it takes on Nebraska (22-9) as part of the Greensboro Regional in a First Round match-up in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is the first meeting for the eighth-seeded Owls and the ninth-seeded Huskers. Game time is set for 9:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.
This is the first time in program history that the Cherry and White have earned an at-large bid. The previous five trips have all come as a result of winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament's automatic bid.
Temple fell just one point short of a trip to its fourth straight Atlantic 10 final, dropping a 54-53 decision to eventual champion Xavier. Temple finished the season with a 24-7 overall mark and a 13-1 record in A-10 play. Senior Kamesha Hairston was voted the A-10's Player of the Year and to the All-Tournament team, while Lady Comfort was the Conference's Most Improved Player. A Kodak/WBCA Regional All-American, Hairston leads the team in scoring (19.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg). Comfort is second with 12.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg, while point guard Fatima Maddox is third with 11.6 ppg.
The Huskers fell to Iowa State in overtime in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament after finishing with a 10-6 mark in Conference play. Nebraska is led by First Team All-Big 12 selections Kiera Hardy and Kelsey Griffin. Voted a Regional All-American by the WBCA, Hardy averages 15.8 ppg and 2.26 apg as the Huskers' point guard. Griffin is second with 15.1 ppg and 8.4 rpg. This is Nebraska's first NCAA appearance since 2000.
A First Round win would pit Temple against the winner of #1-seeded Duke and Patriot League champion Holy Cross (16-seed) on Tuesday, March 20 at 9:30 p.m.
