APU and Point Loma, along with champion Vanguard, are headed to the NCAA postseason (photo by Caitlin Lowe).
APU and Point Loma, along with champion Vanguard, are headed to the NCAA postseason (photo by Caitlin Lowe).

Women's Basketball

Trio of PacWest WBB Teams Headed to NCAA Postseason

Vanguard, Azusa Pacific and Point Loma made the cut and are headed to Ellensburg, Wash. this week.

INDIANAPOLIS--Vanguard, Azusa Pacific and Point Loma will represent the Pacific West Conference in the NCAA Women's Basketball tournament, starting next week in Ellensburg, Wash.

Vanguard, the PacWest regular season and tournament champ, is the No. 4 seed--the same spot that they held in the final regular season poll of the season. They will take on No. 5 CSU Los Angeles, who won the CCAA tournament yesterday.

Azusa Pacific, who was No. 9 coming into the tournament, won a pair of games at the PacWest Championship and that was enough to vault them into the sixth slot, where they will take on No. 3 Cal Poly Pomona. All the teams right in front of the Cougars in last week's poll and the team right behind them all lost, setting the table for APU to work their way in.

Point Loma grabs the seventh seed and will face No. 2 Western Washington. 

This is Vanguard's first NCAA postseason appearance, gathered in their first season of eligibility. It is the 11th time that Azusa Pacific has qualified, and they have done so for the ninth consecutive time. This is their final appearance, as they will move to Division III next year. This is Point Loma's fifth NCAA appearance, and the third straight time their name has been called. 

The tournament, hosted by No. 1 seed Central Washington, will begin next Friday, March 13.

To see the complete bracket, go to NCAA.com

#1 Central Washington (23-6) vs. #8 Montana State Billings (17-14)
#2 Western Washington (24-7) vs. #7 Point Loma (21-8)
#3 Cal Poly Pomona (26-4) vs. #6 Azusa Pacific (23-9)
#4 Vanguard (24-5) vs. #5 CSU Los Angeles (24-6)