Lady Tigers excited about NCAA bid

By By Jeff Byrd / staff writer
March 6, 2002
For the first time in the history of the women's program at West Alabama, the Lady Tigers are headed to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament at Delta State University's Walter Sillers Coliseum.
West Alabama, 22-5, and winners of the Gulf South Conference's East Division, received a No. 4 seed in the tournament and will face No. 5 seed Central Arkansas on Thursday night at 8 p.m.
First-year Lady Tiger head coach Amanda Marks was elated to see her team earn a bid to its first NCAA Tournament.
Despite being knocked off in the semifinal round by four-time defending Gulf South Conference champ Delta State (73-64), Marks felt her team's 22 wins were enough to qualify for one of the six regional berths.
The Lady Tigers will be meeting Central Arkansas for the second time this season. They lost to the Sugar Bears 82-64 in Conway, Ark.
The six-team tournament tips off at 6 p.m. when West Division champ Arkansas Tech takes on Fort Valley State. Host Delta State, fresh off winning its 12th Gulf South Conference Championship, will meet the Central Arkansas-West Alabama winner on Friday at 8 p.m.
Florida Tech, champions of the Sunshine Conference, received a No. 2 seed and a bye, will face the Arkansas Tech-Fort Valley State winner at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The championship game is set for 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Rochester, Minn.