By: Lauren Solzman
Basketball season is in full swing in the month of March, and the FHSU Tigers are one of the few schools to have both teams at the MIAA tournament last weekend, and the NCAA coming up this weekend. While the men will be taking on the University of Nebraska-Kearney, the women are travelling to Pittsburg State University to go head to head with number 4 seed, Winona State.
The Lady Tigers were seeded in the number 5 slot on Selection Sunday, which means they will be making their second consecutive appearance at an NCAA tournament for the first time in Tiger history. Last year the Lady Tigers won the MIAA tournament in Kansas City, which resulted in them hosting the NCAA tournament at Gross Memorial Coliseum.
This year the Tiger team found themselves in a 5 way battle for the number 1 seed in the region. Emporia State won the MIAA tournament and made a huge leap to the number 1 seed, unfortunately for them, the facility they use will be occupied with high school state basketball championships; a similar situation to what Hays faced last year. Due to the lack of space in Emporia, the NCAA tournament will be hosted at the number 2 seed’s location, which this year is Pittsburg State.
Winona State, located in Winona, Minnesota, will be making the trip to Kansas. Recently they fell from the number 2 seed to the number 4 seed after a loss in the NSIC tournament semifinals. The Warriors and Tigers will be battling it out during the opening round on Friday.
Tiger players and fans alike are excited for the tournament, “I think we have a great opportunity to go far if we work together and play hard for 40 minutes. It’s do or die at this point in the season. It is going to be an exciting atmosphere and I’m looking forward to it for sure!” says Rachel Doll, a freshman on the Lady Tiger Basketball team.
The other pairings for the first games of the NCAA tournament include:
#1 Emporia State vs. #8 Northern State
#4 Winona State vs. #5 Fort Hays State
#3 Missouri Western vs. #6 Arkansas Tech
#2 Pittsburg State vs. #7 Sioux Falls