THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 14, 1996 TAG: 9606140739
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY VICKI L. FRIEDMAN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 46 lines
Old Dominion and the city of Norfolk have been selected to host the preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament Final Four Nov. 19-20 at Scope - provided the Lady Monarchs reach the semfinals - the school announced Thursday.
The 16-team tournament, which will feature the Lady Monarchs, defending NCAA champion Tennessee, regional finalist Louisiana Tech and Sweet 16 participants Iowa and Kansas, begins Nov. 15 with first-round games at selected campus sites. The Final Four will follow. If ODU is eliminated in the first two rounds, another Final Four host will be selected.
ODU will host George Washington at the field house Nov. 15 with the winner playing either North Carolina State or Appalachian State in the second round Nov. 17.
``This is an exciting moment for us,'' said ODU coach Wendy Larry. ``It has been a long time since an event of this magnitude has been hosted by us with the city.''
ODU, which hosted the first women's NCAA Final Four in 1982 at Scope, is looking to add to its pioneer status in the sport. The third year of the Women's NIT marks the first time the Final Four will be staged at the home site of a semifinalist.
Brent Amick, the staff coordinator for Triple Crown Sports Inc., the tournament's management association, said the city's support in utilizing Scope, coupled with the strong tradition of women's basketball at the school, led to ODU's selection.
``One nice thing is there is no major Division I football in that area,'' Amick said. ``Tennessee is in the field, and that's such a football-dominated market that it's hard to change the focus to basketball at that time of year.''
The field includes 14 teams that competed in this year's NCAA tournament. ODU, which finished 29-3 and advanced to the Sweet 16, is projected to be ranked in the preseason top five.
``Hampton Roads is in for a great two days of basketball by some of the best teams in the game,'' said ODU athletic director Jim Jarrett. ``Our goal is to sell out Scope.''
The single-elimination Women's NIT will be the first of three early-season tournaments that will include the Lady Monarchs. ODU will host the Dial Classic in late November and will participate in the Central Fidelity Tournament in Richmond, along with Duke and Vanderbilt, in December. by CNB