Kansas Wesleyan women are No.2 seed in KCAC Tournament
By: David Toelle, KWU Sports Information

After sharing the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Regular Season Championship with Sterling, the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes will be the No.2 seed in the upcoming KCAC Post-Season Women’s Basketball Tournament which begins on Monday with the Tournament Play-In games.

Wesleyan, the No.14 ranked team in NAIA Division II, split with Sterling during the regular season and was awarded the No.2 seed after the application of the conference tiebreaker procedures.

The Coyotes are on the verge of one of the best seasons in school history, currently riding an 11-game winning streak and have a 23-5 overall record, and finished the KCAC regular season 16-2. Only Tracy Rietzke’s 1988 team has earned more wins in a season, when that KWU squad went 25-5 overall, captured KWU’s only other KCAC Championship.

The top seed in the KCAC tournament is one of the automatic qualifiers for the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Championships, which begin March 11 in Sioux City, Iowa. The other qualifier is the Post-Season Tournament champion. Should the top seed win the tournament, the highest remaining seed regardless of finish in the tournament, which is the No.2 seed, becomes the other automatic qualifier. If the top seed does not win the tournament, then it receives the other automatic berth via the same language, as the highest remaining seed regardless of finish.

Southwestern is the No.3 seed in the tournament, followed by Friends, Ottawa, Tabor, Bethany, Saint Mary, Bethel and McPherson.

The tournament opens Monday with the two play-in games, featuring the No.7 seed Bethany hosting No.10 McPherson at 7 p.m. in Lindsborg, and No. 8 seeded Saint Mary hosting No. 9 seed Bethel in Leavenworth.

The winner of the Saint Mary/Bethel play-in will face top seeded Sterling at 7 p.m., Thursday, in Sterling. The winner of the Bethany/McPherson play-in will face Kansas Wesleyan at 7 p.m., Thursday inside Mabee Arena. The other two quarterfinal matchups feature No.6 seed Tabor at No.3 seed Southwestern; and No.5 seed Ottawa at No.4 seed Friends, also on Thursday at 7 p.m.

The tournament semifinals are Saturday evening at 7 p.m., and the tournament championship is Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m. All games will be at the home site of the higher seeded team.

Admission to all KCAC Tournament games is $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. All KCAC Tournament games are NO PASS EVENTS. No KWU season passes will be accepted for the KCAC Tournament games inside Mabee Arena.

2009 KCAC Women's Post Season Tournament Schedule

Monday, February 23
No.10 McPherson at No.7 Bethany, 7 p.m., Hahn Gymnasium, Lindsborg
No. 9 Bethel at No.8 Saint Mary, 7 p.m., Ryan Sports Center, Leavenworth

Thursday, February 26
Bethel/Saint Mary at No.1 Sterling, 7 p.m., Gleason Center, Sterling
Bethany/McPherson at No.2 Kansas Wesleyan, 7 p.m., Mabee Arena, Salina
No.6 Tabor at No.3 Southwestern, 7 p.m., Stewart Fieldhouse, Winfield
No.5 Ottawa at No.4 Friends, 7 p.m., Garvey Center, Wichita

Saturday, February 28
Ottawa/Friends winner vs. USM/BTHL vs. Sterling winner, 7 p.m., at site of higher seed
Southwestern/Tabor winner vs. BTHY/MCPH  vs. Kansas Wesleyan winner, 7 p.m., at site of higher seed

Tuesday, March 3
KCAC Tournament Championship, 7 p.m., at the site of the higher seeded team.