NEW HAVEN, Conn. (March 7, 2011) – Holy Family University and Goldey-Beacom College have earned spots in the 2010-11 NCAA Division II East Region Women's Basketball Tournament, and will face each other in the opening round on Friday, March 11 at 2:30 pm at Bentley University's Dana Athletic Center. It will be the fourth meeting this season between the Tigers and Lightning, as the two faced off Saturday night for the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Championship. GBC took the title with a 66-54 win.  

Holy Family is 23-4 this season and went 18-1 in CACC play and will be making its eighth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament after receiving an at-large bid. The Tigers advanced to the regional final last season before falling in overtime to top seed and host Franklin Pierce University. Holy Family, ranked 15th in the recent USA Today/ESPN Division II National Top-25 Coaches' Poll, received the number two seed in this season's tournament. Goldey-Beacom claimed the No. 7 seed.

The Lightning shocked the region by winning the CACC Championship as the No. 3 seed out of the South Division. This is the Goldey-Beacom's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regional. The Lightning enter the week 18-11 overall and went 13-6 in conference play.

For GBC to win in its debut in the tournament, the Lightning will have to win a third straight game against a Holy Family team that, before this season, it had never beaten in the history of the program.

Bentley of the Northeast-10 Conference received the top-seed in the region and will serve as host.  The Falcons will face C.W. Post in the quarterfinals.  The Pioneers, a member of the East Coast Conference, received the eighth seed. Other matchups include, #3 Franklin Pierce University facing #6 Pace University and #4 Assumption College taking on #5 the College of Saint Rose.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGIONAL

At Bentley University, Waltham, Mass.

 QUARTER-FINALS - FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
#3 Franklin Pierce (24-7) vs. #6 Pace (22-8), 12:00 noon
#2 Holy Family (23-9) vs. #7 Goldey-Beacom (18-11), 2:30 pm
#1 Bentley (25-4) vs. #8 C.W. Post (17-12), 6 pm
#4 Assumption (21-7) vs. #5 Saint Rose (21-7), 8:30 pm

SEMI-FINALS - SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011
#3-#6 winner vs. #2-#7 winner, 12:00 noon
#1-#8 winner vs. #4-#5 winner, 2:30 pm

CHAMPIONSHIP - TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2011
6:00 pm

Winner advances to Elite Eight in St. Joseph, Mo., March. 22-25