March 12, 2000

FURMAN TO FACE TENNESSEE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Furman Lady Paladins, 2000 Southern Conference Champions, received word Sunday evening of their 16th seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Paladins will play the second-ranked and top seeded University of Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday, March 18. Gametime has not yet been determined.

Furman, who for the first-time appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 1995, returns to postseason action against the top-seeded Vols, who will be the highest ranked team ever faced by the Furman women's basketball program. In 1995, the Lady Paladins were defeated by Louisiana Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by a score of 90-52.

Furman head coach Sherry Carter gave a reaction to the seeding in a Pat Summitt teleconference on Sunday night,"We (the team) had hoped for a better than 16th seed...we had talked about a possible 14th seed. We are excited about coming to a state and town that supports women's basketball so much. My players are excited because they know the Tennessee tradition and they are excited about playing a team with such a strong tradition."

When asked how the team would prepare for the game with the Lady Vols, Carter added, "Tennessee and SEC basketball is another level that we haven't seen. It is hard to prepare your team to play at that level, but I told them not to be overwhelmed by the mystique and tradition that surrounds Tennessee basketball."

The sub regional at Tennessee will also feature the Wildcats of Arizona and the Golden Flash of Kent.