March 6, 2011

2011 Buick Conference USA Women's Basketball Championship Bracket

EL PASO, Texas - By virtue of a 9-7 mark in league play, the East Carolina women's basketball team will serve as the No. 5 seed at the 2011 Buick Conference USA Championship scheduled for March 9-12 at Memorial Gymnasium and the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas. The Pirates earned the fifth seed for the second-straight season while matching their league mark from a year ago.

The four-day event tips off on Wednesday, March 9, and will conclude with the title game on CBS College Sports at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12. Both semifinal contests are also scheduled for live broadcast by the network.

The Pirates will battle No. 12 seed Tulsa in the tournament's third first-round contest Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. ECU and the Golden Hurricane played two weeks ago, as East Carolina won a 65-55 decision in Greenville. The winner moves on to face No. 4 seed and defending tournament champion Tulane in the quarterfinals Thursday.

ECU has faced off against Tulsa once previously in postseason play when the top-seeded and eventual champion Golden Hurricane knocked off the Pirates 77-60 in the quarterfinals of the 2006 C-USA Tournament in Dallas, Texas. Tulsa also leads the all-time series 4-3.

Houston concluded the regular season Saturday as one of only two teams in Conference USA history to finish the year with an undefeated 16-0 league record. Thanks to a 90-84 overtime win over Tulane, the Cougars pushed their overall record to 25-4 and will be the No. 1 seed.

The winner of this year's event will automatically qualify for the 2011 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, which begins in mid-March.

All-session ticket passes to the tournament may be purchased for as low as $80, which will allow entry to 22 total games (men's and women's). Fans can call (915) 747-6150 to place their ticket orders.

2011 C-USA Championship Schedule / Memorial Gym & Don Haskins Center

FIRST ROUNDS - Wednesday, March 9
Morning Session
Game 1: (7) UAB vs. (10) Marshall 12 p.m.
Game 2: (6) Memphis vs. (11) Southern Miss 2:30 p.m.

Afternoon Session
Game 3: (5) East Carolina vs. (12) Tulsa 5 p.m.
Game 4: (8) SMU vs. (9) UTEP 7:30 p.m.

QUARTERFINALS - Thursday, March 10
Morning Session
Game 5: (2) UCF vs. winner Game 1 12 p.m.
Game 6: (3) Rice vs. winner Game 2 2:30 p.m.

Afternoon Session
Game 7: (4) Tulane vs. winner Game 3 5 p.m.
Game 8: (1) Houston vs. winner Game 4 7:30 p.m.

SEMIFINALS - Friday, March 11
Game 9: Game 5 & 6 winners (CBS Sports) 9 a.m.
Game 10: Game 7 & 8 winners (CBS Sports) 11:30 a.m.

CHAMPIONSHIP - Saturday, March 12
Game 11: Game 9 & 10 winners (CBS Sports) 6 p.m.

All times Mountain.