Lady Raiders to play Mississippi State in NCAA first round

The first round of the women’s 29th NCAA tournament is only a few days away and No. 10 seed MTSU is preparing to take on No. 7 Mississippi State for the first time since 1990.

Both teams have met six times over the years, dating back to 1976, but have not met in two decades.

The Lady Raiders are making their 13th appearance in the NCAA tournament and hold an all-times series (4-2) advantage over Mississippi State. The winner of the game will play either No. 2 seed Ohio State or No. 15 seed St. Francis on Tuesday, March 23 in the second round.

This is the sixth NCAA Tournament for the Lady Bulldogs. Last year the team advanced to the second round in the tournament after knocking off Texas in the first round.

Mississippi State is packed with momentum, but MTSU has a secret weapon. Well, she’s not really a secret anymore after scoring 132 points in the Sun Belt Conference.

That’s right. The nation’s leading scorer, Alysha Clark, is a Lady Raider and averages 28.7 points per game. Clark’s presence on the floor will be important, but other players will also have to step up and knock down shots.

After her performance in the Sun Belt Conference, it's apparent that defenders can’t leave Clark open underneath the basket. For this reason, Mississippi State players will most likely have several players on Clark at all times. If the 5-foot-10 senior can’t find an opening in the paint then a win will have to come from outside shooters.

MTSU’s leading shooter and senior guard, Jackie Pickel, will be feeling her share of pressure Sunday if Clark can’t find an opening.

Earlier this month, Pickel was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and selected for the all-conference second team. She also leads the Sun Belt Conference in 3-pointers and steals, averaging 14 points per game.

Other players to watch are junior guard Anne Marie Lanning, senior forward Brandi Brown and junior forward Emily Queen, all average about 7 points per game.

Senior point guard Chelsia Lymon averages 16 points per game but has been playing with a hurt shoulder since earlier on in the season.

Will these players be able to make the necessary shots to win the game? Or will the Lady Raiders fall in the first round?

I guess we’ll find out at 1:30 p.m. central Sunday, March 21. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Image courtesy of ESPN

MARCH MADNESS: Tennessee teams stacked with talent

This is the year of Tennessee women's college basketball! I can feel it.

The UT Lady Vols defeated Kentucky 70-62 Sunday, March 7 in the SEC Championship game, bringing the team's total SEC titles to 14. The team will now compete in the first round of the NCAA tournament on March 20.

Pat Summitt currently has eight NCAA Championships and earned her last two titles in 2007 and 2008. She's coached several players that have went on to star in the WNBA such as Candace Parker, Kara Lawson and Tamika Catchings.

But unfortunately, Summitt has a young and inexperienced team this year. The team has won its last 14 games, but can it maintain that consistency in the tournament?

Another Tennessee team to watch in the NCAA tournament is the MTSU Lady Raiders. The team extended its 15-game winning streak to 16 Tuesday, March 9 by defeating UALR for the Sun Belt Championship.

The team is notorious for 3-pointers and the home of the NCAA's leading scorer for the past two consecutive seasons: Amber Holt in 2008 and Alysha Clark in 2009.

As a senior this year, Clark is putting up big numbers and grabbing excessive rebounds. She broke a SBC record on Sunday, March 7 against North Texas when she scored a game-high 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

UALR's Chasity Reed retaliated by scoring 41 points against New Orleans Monday, March 8, but Clark set a new record Monday against Western Kentucky Monday with 44 points. She also broke her own record and added 48 points to the Lady Raiders' win over UALR Tuesday, earning another SBC title for MTSU.

Now the Lady Raiders have their sights on an NCAA title, but will they be able to make it past the first round? Tune in March 20-23 for the first and second rounds to find out.

It's obvious that both teams have the skills necessary to play in the NCAA tournament. But only time will tell if the players will be able to endure the stress and perform at a championship level. In the meantime, I'm rooting for both! GO TENNESSEE!