Grand Canyon captures PacWest Championship, berth in NCAA Division II Tournament

HONOLULU, HI – Grand Canyon senior guard Samantha Murphy (Phoenix, AZ/Xavier Prep) poured in 23 points and freshman guard/forward Maylinn Smith (Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite) added 19 as the Antelopes overcame a one-point halftime deficit on Saturday to defeat Hawai‘i Pacific 72-65 in Honolulu, HI, and capture their fourth Pacific West Conference Championship in five years.

The victory gives GCU (27-2/15-1 PacWest) the automatic berth to the NCAA Division II National Championship Tournament that comes with the league title. The Antelopes will participate in the eight-team NCAA Division II West Regional at a site to be determined beginning March 11 with quarterfinal action. The semifinals will be held on March 12 with the West Region Championship set for March 14.

The winner of the D-II West Region Championship will travel to St. Joseph, MO, for the eight-team championship round beginning March 22.

The regional will feature the champions of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), PacWest and the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), as well as five at-large teams that, for the first time in PacWest history, should include a second team from the conference.

At 24-3 overall and 14-2 in the PacWest, Dixie State is expected to earn a berth in the NCAA II National Championship Tournament when the 64-team field is announced on Sunday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. MST.

The live announcement of the Division II Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament can be seen at: http://www.ncaa.com/live/2011-03-05/dii-womens-basketball-selection-show

For more information on the National Championship, check out the NCAA website at: http://www.ncaa.com/championships/basketball-women/d2