The Lee University Lady Flames will be pitted against Langston University (Okla.) in the opening round of the NAIA National Tournament on Thursday (March 18) at 11:45 (Eastern) in Jackson, Tenn.
In the final NAIA poll, the Lady Flames (28-5) were ranked 10th and the Lady Lions (25-7) were 22nd. Overall, Lee is listed as a third seed in the tourney and Langston a sixth seed. Union University, Oklahoma City, Vanguard (Calif.) and St. Xavier (Ill.) drew the four No. 1 seeds.
Coach Marty Rowe has been busy pulling up tapes from the 2007-08 season. Langston came to Walker Arena as a part of the Jack Souther Classic and handed Lee an 89-83 defeat. The Lady Flames led until the final minutes, but watched the Lady Lions run and gun in posting the upset.
Langston, winners of the Red River regular season and tournament titles, is once again paced by Sanetra Jackson (19.5 points per game), but it is 6-foot-1 post player Stephanie Madden that will likely give the Lady Flames plenty of problems. She averages a double-double per game (17.5 ppg and 10.8 rebounds) and has recorded 17 double-doubles this season.
As a team the Lady Lions are sixth in the nation in scoring (81 ppg). They are fifth in rebounding (over 44) per outing. Lee will counter with Katie Nelson (17.64 ppg) and Brooke McKinnon (16.73 ppg). Nelson is the first Lady Flame to score over 2000 points and tally 1000 rebounds in a career. Katie has climbed into the No. 2 spot in all-time Lee scoring, trailing only Vikki Clemmons (2271 points). McKinnon has jumped into the 6th position on the list (1598).
Speaking or records, coach Rowe was denied his 300th coaching win when the Lady Flames were upset by Southern Polytechnic State University in the finals of the SSAC tournament. Should the Lady Flames win on Thursday, they will challenge the winner of William Jewell (Mo.) and Oklahoma Baptist on Friday at 1:30 (Eastern).
Southern Poly and Shorter College will also represent the SSAC in the national tournament.