March 4, 2010

2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

IRVING, Texas - The East Carolina women's basketball team, by virtue of a 20-9 overall record and 9-7 conference ledger, has earned the five seed at the 2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship, as announced by the league office Thursday night.

The five-day event tips off on Monday, March 8, and will conclude with the title game on CBS College Sports Friday, March 12, at the Reynolds Center on the campus of Tulsa.

The Lady Pirates will battle No. 12 seed Southern Miss in the tournament's second first round contest Monday at 3:30 p.m. ET. ECU and the Golden Eagles have played twice already this season, as the Lady Pirates won a 76-50 decision in Greenville before Southern Miss responded with a 59-55 triumph in Hattiesburg. The winner moves on to face No. 4 seed Memphis in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

"Southern Miss has a very good basketball team," head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener remarked. "They have a great player in Pauline Love and she has a great cast around her. They beat us in Hattiesburg just a couple of weeks ago so we all know how dangerous they can be. When it comes tournament time, the records go out the window. Everyone heading into the tournament is 0-0 and fighting to live for another day."

East Carolina has never faced the Golden Eagles in postseason play but hold an 8-6 lead in the all-time series.

The winner of this year's event will automatically qualify for the 2010 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, which begins in mid-March.

Tickets for the 2010 GMC Sierra Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship are available at the Tulsa Ticket Office by calling 918-631-3348, or visiting www.TulsaHurricane.com, and through the East Carolina Ticket Office (252-328-4500 or 1-800-DIAL-ECU) or ecupirates.com. All seats are general admission and are as low as $10 for an adult single-session ticket. You can also receive free admission to the women's tournament with the purchase of a 2010 GMC Sierra C-USA Men's Basketball Championship all-session ticket.

FIRST ROUND - MONDAY, MARCH 8
Morning Session
Game 1: (8) UCF vs. (9) Marshall, 12 p.m.
Game 2: (5) East Carolina vs. (12) Southern Miss, 2:30 p.m.
Evening Session
Game 3: (6) UAB vs. (11) Tulsa, 6:00 p.m.
Game 4: (7) Rice vs. (10) UTEP, 8:30 p.m.

QUARTERFINALS - TUESDAY, MARCH 9
Morning Session
Game 5: winner G1 vs. (1) Tulane, 12 p.m.
Game 6: winner G2 vs. (4) Memphis, 2:30 p.m.
Evening Session
Game 7: winner G3 vs. (3) SMU, 6:00 p.m.
Game 8: winner G4 vs. (2) Houston, 8:30 p.m.

SEMIFINALS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10
Game 9: Game 9 - winner of game 5 & 6 (CBS C), 5:00 p.m.
Game 10: Game 10 - winner of game 7 & 8 (CBS C), 7:30 p.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - FRIDAY, MARCH 12
Game 11: Game 11 - winner of game 9 & 10 (CBS C), 2:30 p.m.

All times Central.

Year / Tournament / Regular Season Champ
2010 / TBD / Tulane
2009 / UCF / SMU
2008 / SMU / UTEP
2007 / East Carolina / Tulane
2006 / Tulsa / Tulsa
2005 / TCU / DePaul
2004 / Houston / Houston
2003 / TCU / Charlotte
2002 / Cincinnati / TCU
2001 / Tulane / Louisville
2000 / Tulane / Marquette
1999 / Tulane / Cincinnati, Louisville, Marquette, Tulane
1998 / Memphis / Memphis
1997 / Tulane / Tulane, Louisville, Memphis
1996 / Memphis / DePaul