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media guide - UWGB Phoenix Athletics

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Green Bay Gets No. 11 Seed in NCAA TournamentBy: Scott Venci, GreenBayPressGazette.comMarch 18, 2013The University of Wisconsin-Green Baywomen’s basketball team often hasearned the respect of the teams it hasplayed the past few years.It just can’t seem to get it from the NCAAtournament selection committee.The <strong>Phoenix</strong> not only was given a No. 11seed when pairings were announced onMonday night, but it will play No. 6 seedLSU on its home floor in Baton Rouge in afirst-round game on Sunday.It’s a rematch, along with the same seedsand location, from 2009 when Green Baylost to LSU 69-59 in a first-round game.It’s likely that Green Bay coach Kevin Borseth,his coaching staff and at least someof the players weren’t particularly thrilledwith the seed, one season after it wasdisappointed with a No. 7 seed that alsoseemed a bit low at the time.Still, they were trying to put their bestspin on the situation.“Well, it’s warm,” said Green Bay coachKevin Borseth, whose team will be playingin its fifth straight NCAA tournament.“The good news is that they are in thesame time zone as we are on. I think insome regards the biggest fear is having togo over that mountain, and traveling overthe mountain is a little difficult at times.“A lot of this comes down to energy.Hopefully, we will have a lot of it.”It’s the second straight year Green Baywill be forced to play on an opponent’shome floor to start the tournament. The<strong>Phoenix</strong> beat Iowa State in Ames lastseason before losing to Kentucky in thesecond round.Despite going 29-2 this season, riding a24-game winning streak and being rankedNo. 20 in the country, the <strong>Phoenix</strong> didnot receive any favors from the selectioncommittee.When Green Bay became the first HorizonLeague team to earn an at-large bid in2010, it had lost three conference gamesduring the season and then lost to ClevelandState in a Horizon League tournamentsemifinal game. It was given a No.12 seed.It is worth wondering how this team onlygot one seed higher, and also about thepossibility that it would have been left outof the tournament altogether had it lost inthe Horizon tournament last week.“We don’t take it too personally,” seniorforward Sarah Eichler said. “As far as weare concerned, we are excited. We aregoing to be in Louisiana. It’s a good placeto start.”Green Bay hasn’t been a team that needsany extra motivation, but it can’t hurtentering a tournament with a little somethingextra to prove.“I think we always have a chip on ourshoulder going in, whether we get a goodseed or a bad seed,” Eichler said. “I mean,we are used to having a target on ourback and it’s nice to go into the tournamentbeing an underdog and knowingyou are not expected to win. Having thatshocking factor of being that surprisingteam that does beat good teams.”The winner of the Green Bay-LSU gamewill face either No. 3 seed Penn State orNo. 14 seed Cal Poly in the second round.The Tigers (20-11) will present a toughmatchup for the <strong>Phoenix</strong>. LSU has severalquality wins this season, including onesover No. 7 ranked Kentucky, No. 9 TexasA&M and No. 14 Georgia.The team is led by 6-foot-5 standoutjunior forward Theresa Plaisance, who isaveraging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds.LSU has gone 13-3 at home.“You have to be 10 points better whenyou go on the road,” Borseth said. “It’s likeplaying a conference road game. I alwaystold our players that you have to be a littlebit better.“We just have to make sure we are alittle more prepared. It is what it is at thispoint.”

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