MURFREESBORO – Never mind that it was a late hour and several of the players were yawning and fighting back a nod.

Never mind that the rest of the school is on Spring Break and that they are about the only ones on campus.

None of that mattered Sunday night at 10 p.m. when the Chowan University women’s basketball team gathered for a ‘watch-party’ to view the online selections to the 2016 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Assembled in Marks Hall Auditorium were head coach Pat Mashuda, his assistant coaches, women’s team members; and men’s coaches Brett Vincent along with assistants Lee Branscome and Charles Rhodes.

Chowan’s hope for an at-large selection were buoyed by both their semi-final showing in the recently-concluded CIAA Tournament that resulted in a 20-win season and featured collecting some key non-conference wins over such powerhouse teams as Penn State Athletic Conference member Indiana University-PA; Northeast-10 Conference’s St. Anselm; Peach Belt member Armstrong State; and Mountain East member Charleston (WV).

They also finished their regular and conference tournament schedules ranked sixth in the latest NCAA Atlantic Region poll.

“You deserve this,” said their 12-year veteran head coach. “We are worthy, and we are capable.”

As the top of the hour approached some players squirmed nervously in their seats, some texted friends and family on smart phones, still others had faces buried in textbooks, and there was some nail-biting accompanied with nervous laughter.

The NCAA online feed selected two other regions before listing the Atlantic Region field.

“The top seed is (CIAA member) Virginia Union University, and they will play Indiana of Pennsylvania,” said NCAA announcer Jeremiah Johnson, as the Chowan team members leaned forward in their seats in anticipation.

A second match-up was given, and then came the big moment.

“The two-seed is California of Pennsylvania, and they will play Chowan,” Johnson announced.

It was a muted reaction, but still a joyful one.

For the rest of the half-hour the remainder of the schools that complete the 64-team field were disclosed. When the feed ended the lights came up on the auditorium and Mashuda addressed his team, first, noting that they were matched against the defending national champions.

“It’s just a mindset,” he said. “It’s putting everything else aside and going out and giving 110 percent on every possession on each end of the floor. We’ve shown that: we scored 55 points in the second half alone against Shaw. We barely gave up more than that in an overtime game (to Bowie State) two days earlier.”

Mashuda reminded his young charges that they are in an elite group of teams across the entire country.

“Congratulations, it’s an exciting time,” he effused. “This is what you play for; let’s just enjoy the ride.”

Afterward the team filed out with several members remaining behind to comment. For senior and team captain Alicia Mobley, who began her college career at Lenoir-Rhyne before transferring to Chowan, this means a second trip to ‘the Dance’.

“This will be my second time, beginning and ending” Mobley said with a laugh. “It’s really just like playing (in our own gym). The farther you go the arenas get bigger, but for now it’s like playing in your own gym. We’ve got a great opportunity being one of the 64 teams, and I’m sure it’s something the younger players will want to get back to again, this being their first experience, but overall: I’m excited.”

One of the players making their first appearance is sophomore Dhyamond Crenshaw. The 6’ forward and Burke, VA native said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“It’s my first time and I’m very stoked to get this opportunity,” Crenshaw said. “It’s an honor just to play in the tournament. It’s no different; in some ways, it’s the same game we’ve played since we were little girls: same game, just a bigger stage. I’m ready to take it in and see what its like and just enjoy it.”

Neither player said they felt any intimidation in playing the defending national champs.

“Not at all,” cited Crenshaw. “It’s just more reason to be excited and more reason to want to beat them.”

While VUU hosts the regional, the game will be played at Richmond’s Arthur Ashe Athletic Center; a 6,000-seat arena located less than a mile from Va. Union’s campus, but a venue that also has a rubber-like tartan floor. Mashuda has been told the conference and the school is trying to secure a wooden basketball floor for an overlay.

“I think our head-to-head win over Indiana, PA helped us secure a spot ahead of them,” Mashuda reasoned. “We’ve got a long road ahead of us opening with the defending national champions. Alicia being there will allow her teammates to ask some questions, but there have been so many firsts with this team: we had a chance to win the regular-season title on the last day, that’s something this school’s never had before. Then in the tournament we had our first bye, found a way to win, and advanced to the semi-finals; so all that was big.

“We’ve had a lot of situations where we can say this is the biggest moment; this is the biggest for our program. When you’re trying to build a program you don’t just get to the tournament, but you try to win a game or two. For me, this is just the next game on the schedule. At the end of the day, same ball, same gym, same dimensions, we just need to translate that like we’ve done 20 other different times this season,” the coach said. “Let’s go have fun and reap all the rewards.”

Mashuda will practice in the Helms Center for two days before heading to Virginia. Game times were not set as of Monday morning, but the first round will be played on Friday with the second round on Saturday and the championship on Monday.

“I know our players’ families will be coming since the event is centrally located,” Mashuda said. “We’ll have a lot of CIAA family, and hopefully some of our students from Spring Break.”

A COMPLETE WOMEN’S NCAA DIVISION-II BRACKET IS AVAILABLE IN TODAY’S SPORTS SECTION.