Sec Teams Could Occupy Every Berth In Final Four

Through the years, Southeastern Conference teams have filled more than a quarter of all the berths in the NCAA women’s Final Four, certainly an enviable mark.

But that’s nothing compared to the possibility looming now. This year, the SEC could fill them all.

A team from the SEC will play in each of the four regional finals on Monday night - Tennessee in the East, Vanderbilt in the Mideast, Georgia in the Midwest and Auburn in the West.

And a fifth team, Alabama, almost made it. Alabama was knocked out by a 78-76 overtime loss to Stanford in the West semifinals on Saturday.

But a stiff challenge awaits all of the SEC teams before any can punch a Final Four ticket to Charlotte, N.C.

Tennessee (29-4) plays third-seeded Virginia (26-6) on the Cavaliers’ home court. Vanderbilt (23-7) plays Connecticut (33-3) at Rosemont, Ill. Georgia (26-4) takes on No. 1-ranked Louisiana Tech (31-1) in Nacogdoches, Texas. Auburn (23-8) meets Stanford (28-2) in Seattle.

Key coaching matchup

Jim Foster was early in his tenure as women’s basketball coach at St. Joseph’s when he hired a former school chum as an assistant.

Now, that friend and his team are all that stands between Foster and a trip to the Final Four.

Foster is now at Vanderbilt. The friend is Geno Auriemma, whose Connecticut team won the NCAA title last year and plays Vanderbilt on Monday night in the finals of the Mideast Regional.

They’ve met three times previously and Foster’s team has won each time.