Women�s Basketball to Host NCAA Sectional Tournament

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The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will host a four-team sectional tournament this weekend to determine a berth in the NCAA Division III women�s basketball �Final Four.�

     UW-Stevens Point will take on Webster (Mo.) in one semifinal game at 7 p.m. on Friday, while Chapman (Calif.) will meet Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) at 5 p.m. in the other game, which is in the �Sweet 16� round of the tournament. All games will be played in Berg Gymnasium.

     The semifinal winners will play Saturday at 7 p.m. for a berth in the Division III Final Four in Terre Haute, Ind. on March 15-16. Other sectionals will be played this weekend in Wilmington, Ohio, Salisbury, Md. and Springfield, Mass.

UW-Stevens Point (26-3) is making its second trip to the Sweet 16, having won the 1987 national championship. The Pointers, who stunned four-time defending national champion Washington (Mo.) 66-60 on Saturday, will host the sectional round for the first time ever.

Webster (25-2) is playing in its first-ever NCAA tournament and defeated Aurora (Ill.) and Lakeland (Wis.) to advance to the sectionals. The Gorloks are the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions and have won 18 straight games since losing 81-76 to Washington (Mo.) on Jan. 3.

Chapman (23-4) is in its first-ever Sweet 16 after beating Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) and Carleton (Minn.) for its first-ever NCAA tournament victories. The Panthers are an independent and are in their second straight NCAA tournament.

Pacific Lutheran (22-3) advanced to its second Sweet 16 with a win over St. Benedict (Minn.) on Saturday. The Northwest Conference champion Lutes were in the 1999 sectional championship game before losing to St. Benedict. They are making their third NCAA tournament appearance in four seasons.

UW-Stevens Point has never played any of the three other teams in the sectional. The Pointers are the only squad that has appeared in a previous final four.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for students. Tickets can be ordered in advance by calling the UW-Stevens Point ticket office at 715-346-4100. They also will be available at the door on the night of the game.