Greetings from Salina, Kan., the site of the 2008 NJCAA Women’s National Basketball Tournament.

———

Though the Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals (26-5) weren’t scheduled to play today on the opening day of the tournament, it was hardly a day off as they continued preparations for their opening round game Wednesday at noon against Midland College. They were scheduled to work out at Salina South High School this morning and will be at the Bicentennial Center later today for opening ceremonies at 6:15 p.m. and then to watch the Central Arizona-Georgia Perimeter game afterward.

The TVCC-Midland winner advances to face the Central Arizona-Georgia Perimeter winner at 6 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals. That’s expected to be No. 1-seeded and unbeaten Central Arizona (31-0), which is making its 27th national tournament appearance. The Vaqueras have won three national championships.

The Lady Cardinals are making their 13th national tournament appearance and sixth in the 11 years the tournament has been in Salina. They are 36-10 in their previous 11 appearances and have won an unprecedented five national titles in seven championship games.

———

Midland College, winner of Region V, is 28-5 on the year. The Lady Chapparals are making their first national tournament appearance since 2003, when they finished third.

The Lady Chapparals finished second to South Plains in their conference, but pulled out a 73-50 win over South Plains in the regional title game.

Ron Jones is in his 14th year as Midland head coach. He owns a 366-97 record.

Midland will be competing without 5-10 wing Jessica Walls. She suffered a knee injury during the regional title game and is unavailable for the national tournament, becoming the third Midland player to suffer a season-ending knee injury this season. Walls, a freshman from Australia, was averaging nine points and three rebounds per game.

The Lady Chapparals are led by 5-8 freshman guard Lyrell Barfield and 6-3 sophomore post Tori Slusher. Barfield averages 13.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and Slusher scores at a 11.7 clip and grabs 7.3 rebounds.

Midland was ranked No. 16 in the final NJCAA regular season rankings.

———

Not that Central Arizona needs any more motivation than trying to protect the tournament’s top seed and unbeaten record and a fourth national title, but the Vaqueras certainly have it. Veteran coach Lin Laursen, who started Central Arizona program in 1971, is retiring at the end of the tournament. She is 64.

Laursen, who has led Central Arizona to the national tournament 27 times and won three national titles, was inducted into the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Monday night.

As often as we are in awe of the numbers the Lady Cardinals have posted in the lifetime of the women’s basketball program at TVCC, since the 1993-94 season, in particular, check out what Laursen has accomplished at Central Arizona:

* 968-144 career record

* 628-32 conference record

* 10 NJCAA tournament semifinal appearances

* 29 conference titles

* 20 seasons of 30-or-more wins

* 31 seasons of 20-or-more wins

If you will, recall Laursen and Central Arizona denied the Lady Cardinals, unbeaten at 35-0 at the time, the national title in 1998, the first year the tournament was held in Salina. Of course, the Lady Cardinals got even the next year.

Laursen has been a credit to the coaching profession and she will be missed.

———

Don’t forget all TVCC tournament games are being broadcast on KYYK (98.3 FM). TVCC games are also being stream online at www.kyyk.com.

Also, remember to check out my blog from the national tournament at www.athensreview.com

Benny Rogers is sports editor for the Athens Daily Review.