WBB Hosts FGCU to Begin NCAA Tournament
March 22, 2019 | 9 p.m.
Watsco Center | Coral Gables, Fla.
No. 19/15 [4] Miami (24-8, 12-4 ACC) vs. RV/RV [13] FGCU (28-4, 16-0 ASUN)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Stats | Media Guide | Game Notes
Attending the NCAA Tournament at the Watsco Center
Buy Tickets | Directions
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The fourth-seeded University of Miami women’s basketball team opens NCAA Tournament play on its home court for the fourth time in program history Friday night.
No. 19/15 Miami (24-8, 12-4 ACC) will host No. 13-seed FGCU at approximately 9 p.m. at the Watsco Center. The game will tip off 30 minutes after the 7 p.m. matchup between fifth-seeded Arizona State and No. 12-seed UCF comes to an end.
The Portland Region opening round game will be televised live on ESPN2, as well as available HERE, with Clay Matvick and Julianne Viani on the call. In addition, the action will be broadcast live on WVUM 90.5 FM HERE and on WKIS 99.9 FM HD-2 HERE.
The Hurricanes are making their 10th consecutive postseason appearance, including their eighth NCAA Tournament trip in the past nine years. It is the fifth straight season Miami is in the NCAA Tournament, extending the program record.
Overall, this is Miami’s 14th appearance in the field and it sports a 6-13 overall mark. The Hurricanes are seeded in the top four for the fifth time, with the No. 4 mark tying for the fourth-highest in program history.
Miami is coming off a 92-85 defeat against then-No. 18/16 Syracuse in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals March 8 in Greensboro, N.C. The Hurricanes, seeded fourth, rallied back from a 16-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead, but the fifth-seeded Orange earned the victory behind an ACC Tournament record 14 made 3-pointers.
Redshirt junior forward Beatrice Mompremier paced all players with 27 points and 10 rebounds, finishing 11-of-16 from the floor to set a program record for makes in the ACC Tournament. Senior forward/center Emese Hof logged 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting and sophomore guard Mykea Gray added 13 points.
Miami is 2-0 all-time against FGCU, with both matchups coming at home in postseason play. The Hurricanes recorded a 70-57 victory on March 18, 2010 in the opening round of the WNIT and, most recently, a 62-60 triumph on March 18, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64.
FGCU is set to become the first team Miami has faced three times in postseason play and it is the second time in three years the sides will meet in a four-v-13 matchup in Coral Gables to open the NCAA Tournament.
The Eagles enter the postseason at 28-4 (16-0 ASUN) after winning 19 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 5 in the conference opener against Liberty.
FGCU is led in scoring by junior guard/forward Nasrin Ulel at 14.9 points per game. This is the program’s fifth NCAA Tournament trip in the past six years, including the third in a row.
The victor of Friday’s matchup will take on either No. 22/20 Arizona State or UCF in the Round of 32 Sunday at a time to be determined.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
