Indianapolis, Ind. – For the second straight year, the East Coast Conference will send three teams to the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship Tournament. Dowling College, New York Institute of Technology, and LIU Post were all included in the 64 team bracket released by the NCAA on Sunday evening.
With their victory in the ECC Championship Game on Sunday afternoon, Dowling earned the conference's automatic berth into the East Region field. The Golden Lions, who also won the ECC title last season, will make their second straight and third overall appearance in the tournament. With a record of 25-3 on the season, Dowling earns the No. 3 seed in the East Region bracket for the second straight season.
The Golden Lions will face a familiar foe in the First Round when they take on the No. 6 seed, NYIT, who earns an at-large berth. After setting a program record with 23 wins on the season, the Bears will be making their first ever appearance in the NCAA Championship Tournament. In three previous meetings on the season, Dowling has come away victorious each time including a 72-49 win in the ECC Championship game.
LIU Post is the final ECC team in the field in the No. 8 spot with an at-large berth after posting a 19-9 record this season. The Pioneers, who will make their third straight and fifth overall appearance in the tournament, take on the top seed and host, Bentley. The Falcons will host the regional for the third time in as many seasons after capturing the Northeast 10 Championship.
No. 2 Stonehill takes on No. 7 Franklin Pierce and No. 4 Holy Family will face No. 5 Assumption to round out a loaded bracket that features six teams listed in the latest USA Today Sport Top 25 Coaches Poll (No. 3 Bentley, No. 5 Holy Family, No. 11 Dowling, No. 12 Stonehill, No. 23 NYIT, RV Assumption).
All three ECC schools will be attempting to win a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their programs' histories. With the NYIT – Dowling matchup, the ECC is guaranteed to have a school in the East Region semifinals for the first time since 2010 and for the second time since the East Region field expanded to eight teams in 2003. Dowling, NYIT, and LIU Post will also attempt to become the second team from the ECC to ever win the East Region crown (St. Rose, former member currently in the Northeast 10, won in 1999).
Tournament play will begin at Bentley with quarterfinal action on Friday, March 15. The semifinals will take place Saturday, March 16 and after a day off, the championship game will be on Monday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.
To view the full 64 team bracket, click here.
2013 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball East Regional
Quarterfinals - Friday, March 15
12:00 p.m. - No. 3 Dowling (25-3) vs. No. 6 NYIT (23-5)
2:30 p.m. – No. 2 Stonehill (23-4) vs. No. 7 Franklin Pierce (18-10)
6:00 p.m. – No. 1 Bentley (28-1) vs. No. 8 LIU Post (19-9)
8:30 p.m. - No. 4 Holy Family (27-2) vs. No. 5 Assumption (22-7)
Semifinals – Saturday, March 16
5:00 p.m. - No. 3-No. 6 winner vs. No. 2-No. 7 winner
7:30 p.m. - No. 1-No. 8 winner vs. No. 4-No. 5 winner
Championship – Monday, March 18
7:00 pm
