March 12, 2006

DAYTON, OH - The Road to the Final Four begins as the University of Dayton hosts the Opening Round of the 2006 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EST at UD Arena. The game will feature Hampton University versus Monmouth University. Tickets for the game are still available at the UD Arena Ticket Office. For more information and to purchase tickets, please call the UD Arena Ticket Office at (937) 229-4433.

Hampton will have an open practice at UD Arena Monday at 6 p.m., with Mounmouth practicing at 7:10 p.m. Both practices are open to the public.

The Hampton Pirates won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship to assure their bid in the "Big Dance." They were 16-15 overall, with a 10-8 record in the MEAC. The Pirates upset Delaware State, a team with 20 wins and a 16-2 record in conference, in the MEAC Finals, 60-56 to claim the title.

The Pirates are led in scoring by junior forward Jaz Cowan, who averages 13.2 points per game, as well as leading the team in rebounding with 7.0 boards per game. They are led in assists by junior guard Matthew Williams, who average 2.5 per game.

The visiting Monmouth Hawks reached the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship by virtue of a win against Farleigh Dickinson in the Northeast Conference Championship Game. Senior Guard Chris Kenny scored a driving bucket with two seconds left to lift the Hawks to a one point victory.

The Hawks are led in scoring by juniors Dejan Delic and Marques Alston, who average 12.1 and 12.0 points per game, respectively. Leading the way for the Hawks in the rebounding category is junior center John Bunch, who average 5.4 boards per game.

Make sure you check out the front page at DaytonFlyers.com, to vote for which team you are most excited to see play here at UD Arena!