INDIANAPOLIS -- The University of New England women's basketball team has earned a spot in the 2012 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, and will square off against Johns Hopkins University in first round action, as announced Monday afternoon by the tournament's national selection committee. The game will be played Friday evening (Mar. 2) at Tufts University's Cousens Gymnasium; a start time has yet to be determined.

The Nor'easters are making their second appearance in the NCAA Championship in three seasons -- this time by virtue of a Pool C (at-large) bid, selected as one of 20 squads in the 64-team field that did not win their conference's automatic qualifier. In 2010, UNE secured the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) crown to enter the tournament, prior to a defeat at the hands of Western Connecticut State University.

At 22-5 overall, Big Blue is in the midst of its fourth straight 20-win campaign under fifth-year head coach Anthony Ewing, which, this season, has included key victories over regionally ranked teams Colby College, Rhode Island College, and the University of Southern Maine. The Nor'easters finished atop the CCC standings by three games at 16-2 during the regular season, before falling to Endicott College in the league tournament semifinal.

2012 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship

First Round | Medford, Mass.

Friday, March 2 | 6:00 p.m.

University of New England (22-5) vs. Johns Hopkins University (23-4)

Live Coverage: Video / Stats

Johns Hopkins was also an at-large selection to the tournament, backed by a 23-4 overall record to-date. The Blue Jays have made nine previous appearances to the NCAA Championship, as recent as last year, when JHU topped Richard Stockton College before a setback to eventual Final Four participant, Christopher Newport University, in the second round.

The regular-season winners of the Centennial Conference (17-3) are guided by head coach Nancy Funk, who has logged 26 seasons at the end of the JHU bench. The Blue Jays dropped the league title game to Muhlenberg College on Saturday. For more about John Hopkins, click HERE.

The UNE/Johns Hopkins winner will advance to face the winner between host Tufts (21-6 / Pool C / NESCAC Runner-Up) and Misericordia University (17-10 / Pool A / Freedom Champion) in the second round Saturday evening.


To view the complete NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship bracket, click HERE. See also: Interactive Bracket.

To read the official release from the NCAA office, click HERE.