The third-seeded Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs (23-7) will try
to win their 24th game of the season when they face the 14th-
seeded Manhattan College Jaspers (20-9) in the first round of the
NCAA Women’s Tournament. Head coach Sharon Fanning wasn’t surprised
to see her team as a No. 3 seed.
“We anticipated that it would be a three seed. We thought
possibly had we beaten Tennessee that it could have moved us to a
No. 2 seed.”
This marks Fanning’s fifth overall trip to the NCAA Tournament.
While head coach at Kentucky, she took the Wildcats to the first
round in 1991.
This will be Mississippi State’s fourth appearance in the big
dance; all four coming under the leadership of Fanning. Fanning
says she is a small part of the winning tradition that has been
established in women’s basketball at MSU.
“From day one it has been about the young ladies. The
administration was excited and enthusiastic. The players have made
a commitment to this program. We try to out-work people. When we
win a championship, we want to be consistent and be able to compete
for it every year. I’m just a small part of it. Hopefully we’ll
continue to climb.”
In 2000 MSU was also named a No. 3 seed. That year the Lady
Bulldogs beat St. Peters in the first round, before falling to UAB
78-72.
Last year 12th-seeded MSU pulled off the upset of fifth-seeded
Boston College in the first round, but Texas Tech downed the Lady
Bulldogs in round two.
In 1999, the first appearance of Mississippi State in the big
dance, the seventh-seeded Lady Bulldogs fell to 10th seeded NC
State.
Mississippi State will face a Manhattan team that went 20-9 on
the regular season and won the MAAC Championship. “Manhattan is
coming off 20 wins and winning a conference championship. Everybody
in this tournament has been successful,” Coach Fanning added, “We
have to play as a team, putting it on the line. Hopefully we can
pick up right where we left off this last tournament.”
The Lady Jaspers and the Lady Dawgs will meet for the second
time in history. The first time these two schools met Manhattan won
52-32 in the Wagner Classic in Staten Island on Dec. 28, 1985.
This year Manhattan and MSU have squared off with Tulsa. The
Lady Bulldogs whipped Tulsa 92-66; while the Jaspers went on to
lose 68-60.
This is the fourth NCAA Tournament appearance for both schools.
MSU is 2-3, while the Jaspers have never made it past the first
round of play, making their
tournament record 0-3.
Both schools also have their men’s team playing in the NCAA
Men’s Tournament. Mississippi State and Manhattan will be facing
each other in the “Pit” in Albuquerque, N.M. LaToya Thomas recalls
her one experience at the “Pit.”
“I know we go down a long tunnel to get to the floor. They have
great fan support. They get ready for their team.”
If the Lady Bulldogs can dodge Manhattan they will play the
winner of 6th seeded New Mexico (22-8) and 11th seeded Miami
(18-12).
“We beat New Mexico two years ago in ‘The Pit’ you know if they
have an opportunity they want to see us again,” Fanning said.
The Lady Dawgs will have to do it again, that’s beat New Mexico
on their home court. If MSU does pull off the win in “The Pit” and
advances to Regionals (Sweet Sixteen), something they have never
done, they could face No. 2 seed Texas Tech (26-5). Beyond that the
Lady Bulldogs could come against No. 1 Duke (31-1) in the Elite
Eight and if they can best the Blue Devils they could possibly face
SEC rival Tennessee (28-4) for a rematch in the Final Four.
A long, tough road awaits the Lady Bulldogs … a road that if
any team, they could prevail upon.