Pilots earn No. 2 seed in NAIA National Tournament
March 09, 2006
Shreveport, LA---The LSUS Pilots have done it all so far this season; hit last second shot to beat East Texas Baptist University; connected on buzzer beater to top the University of Mobile; lost in double overtime to Spring Hill College; were ranked No. 1 in the NAIA; won consecutive games by 20 points and dropped to No. 2 in the NAIA a week later; won the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season championship; and they won the GCAC Tournament and cut down the nets in front of a capacity crowd at The Dock.
Now the Pilots must put that season behind them as they are about to embark on a new season in Kansas City, MO; the NAIA National Tournament. Yesterday the tournament bracket was announced and the Pilots were handed a No.2 seed in the tournament; up eight spots from their 10 seed they received last season.
First test for the Pilots, the Southern Polytechnic State University Runnin’ Hornets (21-10). The Runnin’ Hornets are a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference where they finished in a tie for third place in the regular season with Auburn University-Montgomery with a 13-7 record. SPSU was upset in the quarter-finals of the SSAC Conference Tournament by Georgia Southwestern who finished the season 11-9 in conference, and 19-12 overall.
How SPSU ranks among the NAIA’s best
Team Rankings
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Ranks No.3 in Division I in Steals per Game (10.967) | |
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Ranks No.8 in Division I in Turnover Margin (4.133) |
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Ranks No.16 in Division I in Blocks per Game (3.433) |
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Ranks No.18 in Division I in Scoring Margin (10.433) |
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Ranks No.21 in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (79.267 |
While the Pilots regular season results speak for themselves, the Runnin’ Hornets will have to live up to their name to keep up with the NAIA’s most potent offense. The Pilots rank in the Top 10 of most offensive team categories, and have many individuals who are ranked among the top player’s in the country in many different categories. The Pilots and Runnin’ Hornets will square off Wednesday, March 15 at 2:15pm. The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 Round Friday and will play the winner between San Diego Christian (CA) (22-9) and Lindsey Wilson (KY) (22-9) at 4:30pm.
How LSUS ranks among the NAIA’s best
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