By Benny Rogers/TVCC Sports Information
Here we go!
The 2014 NJCAA Women’s and Men’s National Basketball Tournaments begins this morning at 10 a.m. The women’s tournament is being played at the Bicentennial Center here in Salina, Kan.. and the men’s tournament in at The Sports Arena in Hutchinson, which is about 50 miles southwest of Salina.
TVCC has double representation this year with both the Lady Cardinals, who have won the past two national titles and have played in the last three national title games, and Cardinals on hand.
The Lady Cardinals qualified for a seventh straight year by winning the Region XIV Tournament championship. The Cardinals, who received an at-large berth after finishing runner-up in the Region XIV Tournament, are playing in the national tournament for the first time since 1999.
The Lady Cardinals (32-1) are the No. 1 seed and have a bye in the opening round. The Cardinals (27-6) are the No 12 seed and play No. 21 seed Pratt. (Game time 4:30 p.m.) The Kansas representative is 22-12 on the season and won the Region XIV Tournament as the No. 6 seed.
The TVCC-Pratt winner advances to play No. 5-seeded Northeastern at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Colorado-based school bring a 31-3 record into the tournament.
Second-year Cardinal head coach Kris Baumann is making is second appearance at the tournament. In 2009, the guided Garden City to a sixth-place finish, going 2-2 in the event.
The 24-team tournament features five teams returning from last year — Salt Lake, Shelton State, Walters State, New Mexico and Vincennes.
The Cardinals are 8-4 in national tournament games, having finished third in 1982, seventh in 1995 and eighth in 1999.
Though the Lady Cardinals don’t play today, they have a vested interest in the first game. The tournament opener features State Fair (21-8) against Western Nebraska (30-4). The Lady Cardinals will face the winner of that game at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
In the regular season, Western Nebraska was a 67-61 winner against State Fair.
This is the Lady Cardinals’ 19th appearance at the national tournament and the 12th time they have been to Salina, which is hosting the tournament for a 17th time this year. The Lady Cardinals are 53-16 in their previous 18 trips to the tournament.
The Lady Cardinals are one of 12 teams in the tournament this year that were here a year ago, joining Central Arizona, ASA, Hutchinson, New Mexico, Walters State, Chipola, Southern Idaho, Shelton State, Southwestern Illinois, Northwest Florida State and Blinn.
All Cardinal and Lady Cardinal tournament games will be available for viewing online at www.njcaatv.ihigh.com. In fact, all tournament games will be webcast.
Gas prices are lower this year for the 524-mile trip to Salina. Last year they were at at $3.46. The average price this year (as of Sunday) is $3.35. The lowest price spotted for regular unleaded was $3.25. The highest was $3.45. Here are the average prices the last eight trips to Salina:
2004 — $1.67
2006 — $2.42
2008 — $3.11
2009 — $1.79
2010 — $2.67
2011 — $3.39
2012 — $3.65
2013 — $3.46
It’s 29 and clear in Salina this morning. Today’s high is expected to reach 69. The forecast for the week is calling for temperatures mostly in the 60s with no chance of precipitation.
To all our family and friends back home, have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day.