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Posted: Mar 13, 2013

’Jacks seeded 11th in national tournament

Chesapeake College's women's basketball team, making its second straight appearance in the NJCAA Division II national tournament, will be the 11th seed in next week's 16-team event.

The Region XX champion Skipjacks (22-1) will play sixth-seeded Highland (Kan.) Community College (27-5) next Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in the final game on the opening-day schedule.  Highland's Ashley Torres hit a runner at the buzzer in the Region VI title game to give the Scotties a 76-75 win over Johnson County Community College, then ranked No. 1 in the country.

"We don't know too much about Highland," said Chesapeake head coach Damon Nichols.  "We should be getting game films on them in the next couple of days."

While the championship tournament is single-elimination, all teams are guaranteed at least two games.  Last year, Chesapeake lost its opener as the 13th seed, but then won three straight in the consolation bracket to finish seventh in the nation.

"It helps a lot," Nichols said of last year's national tournament experience.  "I feel that we have a good chance this year.  We want to go in there and get the respect Region XX needs."

Mesa Community College (24-6) is the top seed after finishing fifth in last year's national tournament.  Ninth-seeded Monroe (N.Y.) College is the two-time defending champion, having won last year's tournament as the ninth seed.

If the Skipjacks win Tuesday, they will play the winner between third-seeded host Illinois Central College and 14th-seeded St. Louis Community College Wednesday at 3 p.m. If the Skipjacks lose their opener, they will play at 6 p.m. Wednesday against the loser of the ICC-St. Louis matchup.

Chesapeake and fourth-seeded St. Clair County (Mich.) Community College (30-1) are the only teams in the tournament with less than three losses.

North Platte Community College (15-14) barely brings a winning record into the tournament, having qualified by winning the Region IX and District F championships.  North Platte drew top-seeded Mesa in the opening round.