KBZK

Posted: Mar 17, 2010 11:33 PM
Updated: Mar 18, 2010 7:43 AM

Butte's maidens of March Madness are less than 24 hours away from tipping off in the NAIA women's tournament.

The Montana Tech Lady Orediggers open the NAIA Tournament Thursday night with Azusa Pacific. The Lady Cougars will be making their seventh straight tournament appearance, while Montana Tech's ladies have never been in the national field, as far as the school's records indicate.

It will also be the fifth time Azusa plays a team from the Frontier Conference this year. The team beat MSU-Northern and UGF to open the non-conference season.

In 2008, Azusa Pacific beat the Lady Orediggers in a tight game at the Carroll College Tournament when the Lady Cougars played mostly freshmen and sophomores, players who have excelled as seniors during the ongoing campaign.

Azusa Pacific is co-champion of the Golden State Athletic Conference and it was given a number 2 seed in the NAIA's bracketed-quarter format in which 32 teams are seeded 1 through 8 within each quarter of the tournament bracket. Montana Tech will play the underdog role of a 7 seed. 

Montana Tech arrived in Jackson, TN on Monday and Coach Kerie DePell says her girls are relaxed after watching the first day of first round games which began Wednesday. The Lady Diggers, according to their coach, will be ready to play in the final game of day two.

"The girls were able to watch eight games today. Obviously we weren't here all day, but they could see the arena, they could see the teams, the other players, how its officiated, and all that kind of stuff before we have to play. So yeah, I mean, they don't think they're going to lose. I can tell you that much so they want it badly, so at least we'll give it a good effort," DePell said Wednesday while watching the Frontier Conference's Lewis-Clark State Lady Warriors pick up a 64-49 first round win.

 Tip off is slated for 8:45 p.m. Mountain Time. A 2^nd half update will be available on the 10 p.m. sportscast.