ncaa women s basketball tournament 2009

The selections are in, and LSU is back in familiar territory।The Lady Tigers (18-10) are the No। 6 seed in the Raleigh Regional of the 2009 NCAA tournament and will face No। 11 Green Bay (29-3) at 6 p।m। Sunday in the PMAC.LSU is in the NCAA tournament for the 11th straight season and 19th overall season since the tournaent’s founding in 1982.Coach Van Chancellor said although these Lady Tigers lack the experience of past LSU teams who advanced to five straight Final Four appearances, he sees something special in this group.“I don’t know if LSU has ever had a team that has accomplished any more than we have,” Chancellor said. “When we were 2-2 [in Southeastern Conference play] and let Mississippi State beat us out here, I never dreamed we would be here tonight. Our team has been down. It’s young, and it had a shot to cave in. This team has done a great job to be seeded sixth in any region.”Chancellor said Green Bay, the Horizon League champions, will be a difficult opponent for LSU.“They’re a team that plays hard and will not beat themselves,” Chancellor said. “It will be a great challenge for us because it will be different from any team we’ve played all year. They are well disciplined, and they are not going to turn the ball over. This is a real challenge in my mind.”LSU junior guard Allison Hightower said the team is simply happy to be back in the tournament.“Just coming from where we came from, a No. 6 seed is really good,” Hightower said. “We’ve come a long way, grown and matured and kept fighting.”LSU has won nine of its last 12 games, including a six-game winning streak against conference opponents. Two of those wins were at home against Florida and Tennessee, two other NCAA tournament teams.Chancellor said playing on their home court is definitely an advantage for the young Lady Tigers in their first-round game.“There’s no doubt playing at home helps you,” he said. “The fans come here, you sleep in your own beds, you play on our own court and you practice on your own court. It doesn’t win games, but it gives you a better shot of winning games.”LSU freshman forward LaSondra Barrett, SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, said being in the NCAA tournament for the first time is something special.“You never experience this in high school,” Barrett said. “This is so important to this program, and it is so important to continue that legacy. It’s something I will always look forward to every season, but this being my first time, it’s great.”If the Lady Tigers defeat Green Bay, they will face the winner of the matchup between No. 3 Louisville and No. 14 Liberty in the second round.Chancellor said he is thrilled to be in the NCAA tournament with a team who has come so far.“It’s amazing. We could have just folded, but this team has had resiliency all year,” Chancellor said. “I’m just tickled to death to be in it.”