Women’s Basketball Set for Return to Gulf Coast Showcase Following Thanksgiving
7/29/2021 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ESTERO, Fla. — Sixth-year head coach Todd Starkey will take the Kent State women's basketball program to Southwest Florida for the second time to compete in the 2021 Gulf Coast Showcase following Thanksgiving, as event organizer bdG Sports announced the tournament bracket on Thursday.
The eight-team tournament will be played at Hertz Arena from Friday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 28 and is headlined by NCAA Tournament participants UCLA, Iowa State and South Dakota State. Three additional teams finished in the top-100 of the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET).
"Since its inception, the Gulf Coast Showcase has attracted the very best in women's college basketball," said Women's Tournament Director and CBS/ESPN analyst Debbie Antonelli. "I fully expect to see six or seven teams in this year's field playing in the NCAA Tournament in March and our champion competing for a Final Four berth."
The Golden Flashes will be tested from the opening tip, which is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 26 against a UCLA squad with ambitions of making a run to Final Four and beyond. Either one of the top mid-major teams in the country, South Dakota State, or UMass will be Kent State's opponent on Nov. 27. The final game of the tournament will be played on Nov. 28 against Iowa State, Charlotte, Penn State or St. John's.
The All-Mid-American Conference trio of Nila Blackford, Katie Shumate and Lindsey Thall highlight a veteran group of Flashes. The entire starting unit and more than 97 percent of the team's scoring will be back in blue and gold this winter.
Ticket and Fan Travel Information
Fan travel information, including preferred hotel rates at the official tournament resorts, and ticket information can be found at the official event websites – www.gulfcoastshowcase.com or www.naplesinvitational.com – and on social media at @GCShowcase.
