Angle

Issue date: 2/12/07 Section: Sports

2006 Women's Basketball [Click to enlarge]

For Cougar fans, it's about time for the Women's Basketball Regional Tournament, held February 16-17 at Southeastern University.

The Lady Cougars will be looking to win the Regional Championship. That win will give them a shot in the NCCAA National Tournament beginning March 1, also at Southeastern University.

The Lady Cougars have made many improvements since last year, when the team won only six games. They lost to Atlanta Christian College, who would beat Southeastern University for the Regional Championship. This year's squad has won over ten games and has secured the number two seed, heading into the Regional Tournament.

Team play has been the key for the Lady Cougars, but individual performances have also helped them. Four players are ranked in the nation in individual statistics. Brianna Burns is 22nd in the nation in free throw percentage with 75.5%, the Hallice sisters are ranked in blocks per game (Alyssa with 1.8 and Kristen with 1.2), and Bethany Williams is ranked 1st in the nation for steals with 4.6 per game.

The Lady Cougars are also led by senior leadership from Nicole Deramo and Jessica Russell, both of whom played all four years with the team.

The Lady Cougars' record does not guarantee them a spot in the Nationals, unlike last year's NCCAA South Regionals. In last year's Regionals, a team needed only to place first or second to enter Nationals, but because of budget issues, only Regional champions are able to compete.

In order to make it to Nationals, the Lady Cougars must win Regionals; however, they will be competing with other teams who have the same goal in mind.

But the Lady Cougars have been playing well. The team anticipates winning the 2007 NCCAA South Region Championship.

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