In less than a week, the ball will be tipped in Lubbock, Texas as the Three Rivers women's basketball team will go for the program's first national championship after reaching the final four for the first time last season.

"Since we've been ranked in the top 25 all year long, we're very familiar with most of the teams in the field," Three Rivers coach Alex Wiggs said. "I think it's a very good field and it's an exciting time to be among the top 24 teams in the country."

Unlike last year, the top-seeded Raiders will have the luxury of a first-round bye and will watch No. 16 Chipola (Fla.) take on No. 17 Tyler (Texas) on Wednesday. The winner of that contest will face Three Rivers at 2 p.m. Thursday.

Should the Raiders advance, they will have an off day before the Elite Eight round at 1 p.m. Saturday.

"Playing in less games against this caliber opponent is beneficial," Wiggs said. "Especially with the veteran team that we have that was in this position last year."

On paper, Tyler and Chipola are even with identical records of 23-8 and have scuffled as of late with Tyler losing four of their last five while Chipola lost three of their last five.

It’s also a rematch from the quarterfinal last year in which Chipola beat Tyler 55-49. Chipola, the No. 3 seed last year, lost to Trinity Valley (Texas) in the semifinal.

"They're obviously two good teams and have a lot of experience in the national tournament as they were there last year too," Wiggs said. "They play a little bit different styles where Chipola is more full court press while Tyler plays more half court."

Along with the level of competition stepping up in the national tournament, the teams are no longer confined to their respective regions.

The Raiders only played two teams in the field during the regular season, one of them No. 5 Wabash Valley, which enters the tournament with a 28-1 record. That lone loss was to Three Rivers back on Nov. 6. On the opposite side of the bracket from the Raiders is Region XVI rival Moberly Area as the 15th seed.

Wabash Valley beat Moberly Area 77-72 on Dec. 12 but did not face any other teams in the field.

Meanwhile, Shelton State (Ala.), the No. 2 seed, went 4-1 against teams in the field with a pair of wins over Jones (Miss.) while also beating Walters State (Tenn.) and Chipola after an early-season loss to No. 3 seed Georgia Highlands.

"We're preparing for the tournament as if it's just another game," Wiggs said. "To us, playing a team from the other side of the country is no different than playing a team within our region."

There's also the possibility of the Raiders meeting defending champion, fourth-seeded Northwest Florida State, in the final four once again. Three Rivers lost to the Raiders 71-63 last year in the semifinal.

"It's something that could happen, but there's a lot of things that have to happen first if we were to play them again," Wiggs said. "We know that we have to take care of business first and take it one game at a time."

Fans not making the long trip can catch all of the action online on the NJCAA Network. There is a $10 one-day pass and $30 for the entire NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. The Raiders will also be aired on their regular radio station locally and on the team’s website.

Admission is $10 daily for adults, $5 for students, or $30 for a tournament pass. Tickets will be available at the door at the south entrance of the Rip Griffin Center starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

There will be a send off for the team at 9 a.m. Sunday in front of the Bess Activity Center as the team begins its journey west.

Robert Augsdorfer - Daily American Republic