Mayville State University will participate in the 23nd Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament scheduled for March 12-18 in Sioux City, Iowa. The Lady Comets played in a national tournament for the first time in school history in 2013. Throughout the 2013-2014 season, the Mayville State team has climbed in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll, and currently is ranked #11. They finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-3, and completed North Star Athletic Association conference regular season play with a 7-1 record and being crowned the regular season champion. The Comets won the conference tournament with a win over the University of Jamestown, a team ranked #3 in the country.
The Tournament
The Lady Comets will arrive in Sioux City on Monday, March 10. They’ll have team activities throughout the day on March 11 and participate in the team banquet at the Sioux City Convention Center that evening. A field of 32 teams will compete in the tournament. Games begin Wednesday, March 12 at the Tyson Events Center, with opening ceremonies scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Wednesday. The Comets will play Cornerstone University of Michigan in the first round of the tournament, Thursday, March 13. Game time is 10:15 a.m. See full tournament details at www.naia.org.
Telethon
It takes significant funding to send a team to a national tournament. To help defray expenses associated with the trip, Mayville’s local radio station, KMAV, is hosting a telethon on Monday morning, March 10, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. During the telethon, the coaches and players will be interviewed and Comet boosters are invited to call in with their monetary contributions for the team. The telethon will be broadcast from the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse. Tune in at 105.5 FM or KMAV.com. If you’d like to make your gift online, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/nationaltourney any time.
Send-Off Celebration
The public is invited to join in sending the Lady Comets off in Mayville State style. Watch the team in their final home practice at the Lewy Lee Fieldhouse from 12:15 to 12:45 on Monday, March 10. A short send-off program will begin at 12:45 p.m. The players and coaches will be formally introduced and there will be time for socializing after. Free popcorn will be available, and soda will be available for purchase in the concession stand. The team will board the bus and begin their trip to Sioux City at 1:30 p.m.
Watch the Games … or Listen In!
If you can’t make it to Sioux City to watch the games in person, come to the Mayville State campus to watch the live video stream on the big screen. The first game viewing party will be held in the MSU Campus Center Luckasen Room, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, March 13. Everyone is welcome! The first 28 games of the Sioux City tournament will be broadcast via video stream. Find a link to this at www.naia.org. KMAV (105.5 FM or KMAV.com) will also broadcast the Mayville State games during the national tournament.
More Information
To stay in touch with what’s happening during the Lady Comets’ trip to the national tournament, go to www.msucomets.com. For more information, e-mail linda.arnegard@mayvillestate.edu.