March 16, 2001

By Gary Rubin

Division II Elite Eight Lineup Set for Bakersfield

The field is set for the 2001 Division II Elite Eight, which begins March 21 in Bakersfield, Calif. It's the first time the national championship has been held West of the Mississippi River.

Here's a closer look at each regional representative and how they earned their berth to the Elite Eight:

Kentucky Wesleyan (Great Lakes) - Ray Harper's Panthers emerged from the Great Lakes Region for their fourth consecutive and record-breaking 19th trip to the Division II Elite Eight. The 1999 national champions outlasted Northern Kentucky 59-57 on Saturday behind Lorico Duncan's 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists. KWC now faces Southwest State in the first game of the Elite Eight.

Southwest State (North Central) - Southwest State head coach Tim Miles took his Mustangs into St. Cloud, Minn. and defeated the host school, St. Cloud State, 67-65 on Sunday night to advance to the Elite Eight. Southwest State needed a driving basket by Marques Pena with three second remaining to edge the Huskies. "Wow. This is what college basketball is all about," said Miles after the game. "College age kids playing their hearts out. It was a great game and the atmosphere was unbelievable."

Adelphi (Northeast) - The nation's only unbeaten team, Adelphi (31-0) defeated St. Michael's 78-64 on Saturday to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1964. All-American Ryan McCormack scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five assists for the Panthers. "Ever since we lost in last year's regional, my guys were determined to get over the hump," said head coach Jim Ferry. "When the buzzer sounded that night, they set a goal of going all the way this season." Adelphi will take on Tampa in the national quarterfinals.

Tampa (South) - Head coach Richard Schmidt's Spartans defeated Henderson State 60-51 on Saturday to capture the regional title and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. After falling behind 10-0 at the start of the game, the Spartans regrouped in the second half took the lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the game and never trailed again. Jon Brown led Tampa with a game-high 21 points. Elijah Piazza came off the bench to score 14 points and grab six rebounds. The Spartans also picked up some revenge in the second round of the tournament, knocking off Sunshine State Conference foe Eckerd 67-56 after losing to the Tritons twice previously this season.

Washburn (South Central) - The South Central Region final came down to two Mid. America schools, Bob Chipman's Washburn Ichabods and Steve Tappmeyer's Northwest Missouri State Bearcats. When the horn sounded, Washburn was on its way to Bakersfield with a 67-61 victory. It's the school's first trip to the Elite Eight since 1994. All-American Ewan Auguste sparked a 12-1 run early in the second half to put the Ichabods on top for good.

Western Washington (West) - Head coach Brad Jackson's Western Washington Vikings defeated Cal State San Bernardino 58-55 on Saturday to earn a trip to the Elite Eight in just their first NCAA tournament appearance in the program's history. The win pushed the Vikings to 26-3 on the season and kept their 13-game winning streak alive.

Queens (East) - Bart Lundy led his top-seeded Queens (NC) team out of the East Region with an 81-67 win over Salem International on Saturday in Fort Mill, S.C. at the Charlotte Hornets' Training Center. The Royals advanced to the regional final with a 77-76 overtime win against Longwood College on Friday night. Queens faces West champion Western Washington in the quarterfinals of the Elite Eight.