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FSU Womens Basketball NCAA Tournament 1st Round Preview: vs. Arkansas Little Rock

By Jason Parker

TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 17: A general view of game action during the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Cavaliers at Donald L. Tucker Center on January 17, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
TALLAHASSEE, FL - JANUARY 17: A general view of game action during the game between the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Cavaliers at Donald L. Tucker Center on January 17, 2016 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images) /
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Here’s a preview of FSU women’s basketball and their upcoming game scheduled for play during the 2018 NCAA basketball tournament.

For the sixth straight time and the 13th time in the last 14 seasons, the FSU women’s basketball team is dancing well into March as they qualified for the field in the annual NCAA Tournament. Head coach Sue Semrau has her team as their third seed nationally, playing their opener (and baring an upset, their second round game) inside the Tucker Center, where they lost just one game this season.

For Semrau and her team, the goal is not just to get back to the Sweet 16 for a fourth straight season or a back-to-back trip to the Elite Eight, but it is getting over the barrier and making the program’s first Final Four appearance of all time – which won’t be easy in a bracket that has two powerhouses that have denied the Noles a trip before.

Here’s our recap of last week’s action and a preview of what’s ahead for the Seminoles.

Last Week Recap

After a 24-5 regular season that included a third place finish in the ACC, FSU went to the conference tournament hoping for their first championship in the event since joining back in 1992. The weekend started off well as the Seminoles defeated in-state foe Miami, who had knocked them out of the previous two tournaments, 73-69 behind 20 points from guard Imani Wright.

The following day, Semrau and her team were brought back to earth by a second seeded Notre Dame team that had given them their worst loss of the regular season. Despite 24 points from forward Shakayla Thomas, the Irish didn’t give up their lead in the fourth quarter and coasted to a 90-80 victory, sending the Seminoles home to wait for Selection Monday.

Opponent Preview

The Lady Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock will make their way to Tallahassee for the tournament opener bright and early at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Head coach Joe Foley’s team finished the year with a 20-9 record before three straight wins and a Sun Belt Tournament title. UA-LR is averaging just 60 points on the season and has just one player in double figures for a per game average (Ronjanae DeGray with 13.9 points per game).

Next: FSU Womens Basketball to host opening rounds of NCAA

Interesting Fact

For the fifth time in the last 10 tournaments, FSU will be the No. 3 seed in their region – and the selection committee did not make things easy for the Seminoles. If the favorites hold to form, the Noles would have to beat both No. 2 South Carolina and No. 1 UConn to get to their first ever Final Four. The Gamecocks eliminated FSU in the 2015 and 2017 Elite Eights while the Huskies did so in 2010.