COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 19th NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament will take place March 16-20 in Peoria, Ill.

The top 12 teams in the nation will compete for a national title at Lorene Ramsey Gymnasium on the campus of Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Ill. This is the third straight year ICC has hosted the event.

A quick glance at this year’s qualifying teams, seeding and first round pairings is below. Tournament bracket, stats, updates and information on live video webcasts can be found at: http://www.icc.edu/njcaaTournament/

District A (Region 1) – Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ (25-7)
The Pima CC Aztecs are coming into the NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament as the No. 5 seed.  This will be their second straight trip to the tournament after finishing in 3rd place just out of the championship game last year.  Now, in 2010, they enter the tournament with hopes of making it a step further than their previous trip.  They are led offensively by 6’2″ sophomore Tia Morrison (All-Tournament Team 2009, Cat Power Player Award) who averages a double-double with 18.7 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

District B (Regions 2,5,6,23) – Johnson County CC, Kan. (30-3)
Johnson County Community College began the year ranked No. 16 in the NJCAA Preseason Poll.  Since then they have proven to many that they were underrated.  Throughout the year they spent much of their time in the No. 5 position until the final week when they made the jump to No. 2.  They enter the tournament with that same No.2 seed overall.  This will be the Cavaliers seventh trip to the tournament since 2000 when they were crowned the national champions.

District C (Regions 3, 15, 21) – Monroe College, Bronx, NY (24-5)
Monroe College makes their first trip to the NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament since moving up from Division 3.  The Mustangs are certainly no stranger to success having won two national titles at the division 3 level in 2006 and 2008.  They enter the tournament with an offense that has the ability to light up a scoreboard, averaging an astonishing 87 points per game.  The offense is led by 5’10 freshman Jessica Previlon who averages 13.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

District D (Region 4a) – Kankakee Community College, Kankakee, IL (30-2)
Kankakee Community College entered the tournament this year as the No. 3 overall seed.  During the regular season they jumped around in the top five, but finished the season at No. 4 in the NJCAA Poll.  This will be Kankakee’s 13th trip to the tournament since 1992 and their fifth consecutive.  The Cavaliers last national championship came in 1995.  Kankakee’s offense averages 83 points per game and has three players that average in double figures.

District E (Regions 9,11) – Kirkwood Community College, Iowa (34-1)
Kirkwood Community College is this year’s team to beat as they enter the tournament with the No.1 overall seed.  All season they’ve been considered one of the best and now they have the opportunity to prove why.  The Eagles’ one loss this season came at the hands of the giant killer, Illinois Central College, who also defeated the No. 3 seed Kankakee this season.  Kirkwood is making their ninth consecutive appearance in the tournament and their 13th appearance since 1995.  They are looking to gain their sixth national championship and their fourth in the last four years.  The Eagle’s have a very spread out offense that can rain in points from anywhere or anyone on the floor and a defense that allows just 47 points per game.

District F (Regions 13, 16) – Bismarck State College, N.D. (25-6)
Bismarck State College finds themselves in the tournament for the fifth time since 1998.  The Mystics defeated MCC Penn Valley 81-58 to advance into this year’s tournament.  Bismarck boasts a strong offense that’s led by 5’10” freshman Kelsey Sigl with 21.5 points, 9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.  Bismarck spent most of their time at the bottom of the poll this season but they enter the tournament in 2010 looking to make a splash.

District G (Region 12W) – Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI (26-5)
The Indians of Lake Michigan College defeated Grand Rapids CC by a score of 53-36 to enter their third NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament since 1997.  The Indians leading scorer is 5’6″ sophomore Tyeacia Warren averaging 15.3 points per game and second in assists with 3.8.  Other offensive leaders are 5’7″ freshman Miranda Strefling who averages 11.8 points per game, and 5’4″ Katy Stuppy who averages 11.7 points per game and shoots 39 percent from beyond the arc.

District H (Region 12E) – Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI (31-1)
Schoolcraft enters its third national tournament since 2001 with the No. 4 overall seed.  After spending much of the season in the top spot, the Ocelots were bounced out after losing to Delta College on Feb. 11th.  They finished the season holding on to the No. 5 position in the NJCAA Poll.  The Ocelots carry a powerful offense that averages 84 points per game with five players in double figures.  On the other side of the ball, Schoolcraft’s defense has held opponents to just 54 points per contest.

District I (Regions 10, 19) – Patrick Henry Community College, Martinsville, VA (20-0)
Patrick Henry Community College is welcomed in to their first ever NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament here in 2010.  The Patriots finished the season with the No.8 spot in the NJCAA poll, and they enter the tournament as the No.7 overall seed.  Their offense is powered by 5’10” sophomore Andrea Barbour who averages 23.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game.  The Patriots’ offense has two other players averaging in double figures as well.

District J (Region 20) – Prince George’s Community College, Largo, MD (19-6)*
Prince George’s Community College enters just their second NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament, the first was in 2006.  The Owls bring with them a very young team having nine freshmen and just four sophomores on the roster.  The driving force behind Price George’s offense is 5’7″ freshman Asyja Smith, who averages 24.3 points per game and is second on the team with 7.4 assists per game.  Second on the team in scoring is 5’5″ freshman Brittany Hollins who averages 14.8 points per game, and leads in assists with an average of 3 per game.

*Prince George’s is filling the vacated spot in the tournament by Baltimore City Community College (Md.)

District K (Region 4b) – Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby, IL (27-5)
Illinois Valley Community College is another newcomer to the NJCAA Division 2 National Tournament.  They enter their first tournament with a 27-5 record thus far, and a No. 8 seed overall in the tournament.  Offensively, the Eagles are led by the play of 5’9″ freshman Shannon Washington who averages 17.3 points, and 8.7 rebounds per game.  5’5″ sophomore Virginia Trotter is second on the team in scoring with 12.5 points, and 3.5 rebounds per game.

District L (Region 24) – Parkland College, Champaign, IL (26-7)
Parkland College enters the tournament as the No. 6 team in the field of 12.  To get here, the Cobras had to get through Division 2 powerhouse Illinois Central College.  With a score of 83-64 they did just that and proved why they belong in this year’s tournament.  This is Parkland’s second straight trip to the tournament and their third overall.  The Cobras offense is powered by three players who are scoring in double figures, including leading scorer, sophomore Heather Pruemer who is averaging 14.6 points per game.

2010 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Seeding
Seed #1 – District E (Region 11) – Kirkwood Community College, Iowa (34-1)
Seed #2 – District B (Region 6) – Johnson County CC, Kan. (30-3)
Seed #3 – District D (Region 4a) – Kankakee Community College, Kankakee, IL (30-2)
Seed #4 – District H (Region 12E) – Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI (31-1)
Seed #5 – District A (Region 1) – Pima Community College, Tucson, AZ (25-7)
Seed #6 – District L (Region 24) – Parkland College, Champaign, IL (26-7)
Seed #7 – District I (Region 10) – Patrick Henry Community College, Martinsville, VA (19-0)
Seed #8 – District K (Region 4b) – Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby, IL (27-5)

1st Round Pairings, Wednesday, March 17th
Game 1 (12:00 noon) – Lake Michigan College vs. #8 Illinois Valley Community College
Game 2 (2:00 PM) – Bismarck State College vs. #5 Pima Community College
Game 3 (6:00 PM) – Monroe College vs. #6 Parkland College (#6 seed)
Game 4 (8:00 PM) – Baltimore City Community College vs. #7 Patrick Henry Community College

Thursday, March 18th Pairings
Game 5 (10:00 AM) – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 6 (Noon) – Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 7 (2:00 PM) – #1 Kirkwood Community College vs. Winner Game 1
Game 8 (4:00 PM) – #4 Schoolcraft College vs. Winner Game 2
Game 9 (6:30 PM) – #3 Kankakee Community College vs. Winner Game 3
Game 10 (8:30 PM) – #2 Johnson County Community College vs. Winner Game 4