UT to face Creighton in first round of NCAA Championships March 17 in Oregon

March 13, 2017 | Athletics, Events, News
By Brian DeBenedictis



Toledo is heading back to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2001. The Rockets are a No. 10 seed and will face No. 7 seed Creighton in first-round action Friday, March 17, in Corvallis, Ore.

Tip-off will be at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time).

The bracket was unveiled Monday evening on ESPN, with the team gathering at Savage Arena to watch the selection show with their fans.

Players react when it was revealed the Rockets are the No. 10 seed and will face Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday, March 17, in Corvallis, Ore.

Gill Coliseum will serve as the venue for Friday’s two games in the Stockton regional. The other game Friday will pit No. 15 seed Long Beach State against No. 2 seed and host Oregon State.

UT, 25-8 overall, is appearing in the NCAA Championships for the eighth time in program history. The Rockets have an all-time record of 3-7 in NCAA tourney games.

Toledo, which is in the midst of a season-high eight-game winning streak, earned the Mid-American Conference’s automatic bid to the “Big Dance” after winning the MAC Tournament last week in Cleveland. The Rockets defeated Akron, 65-37, in the first round, MAC East Division champion Kent St., 67-63, in the quarterfinals, defending MAC Tournament champion Buffalo, 72-65, in the semifinals and Northern Illinois, 82-71, in the finals.

Head Coach Tricia Cullop talked to fans who watched the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show with the team in Savage Arena.

Sophomore Mikaela Boyd was named the MAC Tournament MVP after averaging 12.3 points, a team-high 11.0 rebounds, a squad-tying best 4.8 assists, and a team-best 2.5 steals in a squad-high 33.5 minutes per contest.

Joining Boyd on the all-tourney team was freshman Mariella Santucci, who contributed a squad-best 13.8 points, 4.0 boards, a team-tying high 4.8 helpers, and 1.0 thefts in 30.8 minutes per game.

Creighton is 23-7 on the year, including a 16-2 mark in the Big East Conference. The Bluejays, co-champions of the conference, earned an at-large bid and will make their sixth NCAA Championships appearance in program history.

Ticket information will be announced Tuesday, March 14, as well as information about a pregame reception sponsored by the UT Alumni Association.

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