Gary Blair
Kristi Bellock
Texas A&M Women's Basketball
Aggies draw three-seed in NCAAs, dance for 8th straight year
Most of the time, the path of least resistance proves to be the best choice.
Especially in postseason basketball.
On Monday evening, nearly 600 Aggies watched at the Cox-McFerrin Center as the No. 9 Texas A&M women’s basketball team drew the three-seed in the Norfolk regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
By being placed in the Norfolk region, the Aggies (24-9) avoid playing overall number one-seed Baylor - a team most experts expected A&M to be paired with - until a possible championship game.
“Norfolk is a fair region,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair shortly after the bid was announced. “When I first saw California and Stanford paired together as a one and a two [in the Spokane regional], I figured they would have Notre Dame and Tennessee in Norfolk, and us and Baylor in Oklahoma City.”
A&M plays host to the first two rounds of the tournament and will open up play in a 3 P.M. game against 14th-seed Wichita State (24-9), the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, on Saturday.
If the Aggies prove to be victorious over the Shockers, they will most likely face sixth-seeded Nebraska (23-8) in the second round on Monday night. The Cornhuskers face-off against 11th-seeded UT-Chattanooga (29-3) at 5:30 P.M. Saturday evening.
Once out of the College Station sub-regional, A&M could see ACC champion Duke in the Sweet 16 before facing top-seeded Notre Dame in the Norfolk regional final.
The Aggies dropped a thriller to the Fighting Irish 82-73 in late December, however, A&M was very competitive against one of the country’s top teams, and even held a lead in the second half.
“Even though we have played each other, that’s just the way it is,” said Blair. “I would love to play Notre Dame again, but that means we have to get to the Elite Eight first.”
The SEC was awarded seven bids into the tournament which was second most to the Big East who was given eight.
“I think it’s going to be a great Final Four,” concluded Blair. “Obviously Baylor is the overwhelming favorite, but you never know.”
Especially in postseason basketball.
On Monday evening, nearly 600 Aggies watched at the Cox-McFerrin Center as the No. 9 Texas A&M women’s basketball team drew the three-seed in the Norfolk regional of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
By being placed in the Norfolk region, the Aggies (24-9) avoid playing overall number one-seed Baylor - a team most experts expected A&M to be paired with - until a possible championship game.
“Norfolk is a fair region,” said A&M head coach Gary Blair shortly after the bid was announced. “When I first saw California and Stanford paired together as a one and a two [in the Spokane regional], I figured they would have Notre Dame and Tennessee in Norfolk, and us and Baylor in Oklahoma City.”
A&M plays host to the first two rounds of the tournament and will open up play in a 3 P.M. game against 14th-seed Wichita State (24-9), the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference, on Saturday.
Matt Sachs, TexAgs
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“It’s Wichita State’s first time into the tournament, just like Albany (A&M’s first round opponent in 2012),” stated Blair. “It’s good to have those new teams in for the first time, so I wish them well, but not too much on Saturday.”If the Aggies prove to be victorious over the Shockers, they will most likely face sixth-seeded Nebraska (23-8) in the second round on Monday night. The Cornhuskers face-off against 11th-seeded UT-Chattanooga (29-3) at 5:30 P.M. Saturday evening.
Once out of the College Station sub-regional, A&M could see ACC champion Duke in the Sweet 16 before facing top-seeded Notre Dame in the Norfolk regional final.
The Aggies dropped a thriller to the Fighting Irish 82-73 in late December, however, A&M was very competitive against one of the country’s top teams, and even held a lead in the second half.
“Even though we have played each other, that’s just the way it is,” said Blair. “I would love to play Notre Dame again, but that means we have to get to the Elite Eight first.”
The SEC was awarded seven bids into the tournament which was second most to the Big East who was given eight.
“I think it’s going to be a great Final Four,” concluded Blair. “Obviously Baylor is the overwhelming favorite, but you never know.”
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