INDIANAPOLIS (Mar. 4) -- For the fifth consecutive year, Seattle Pacific University has qualified for the NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament, with the No. 19-ranked Falcons scheduled to begin play Friday night (Mar. 9) in Pomona, Ca.

Having earned an automatic berth as champion of the Pacific West Conference, Seattle Pacific (23-4) is seeded No. 2 and will face the winner of Thursday's first round game between Alaska Fairbanks (19-8) and Cal State Bakersfield (21-6). Game time is 5 p.m. Friday.

Top-seeded and 12th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona (22-3) will host the regional at Kellogg Gymnasium for the second year in a row. The Broncos, like SPU, receive a first-round bye. They will play either Western Washington (20-7) or Central Washington (20-7) the second semifinal Friday at 7:30. Saturday's regional championship game is 7 p.m.

While the Falcons have twice beaten Alaska Fairbanks by close margins this season, Bakersfield's program is its first year of play and was not on the SPU schedule.

"Both teams might present problems for us," said Seattle Pacific coach Gordy Presnell. "But we're playing with a lot of confidence right now. I know our (four) seniors are especially excited about the chance to play in Pomona again."

In 2000, SPU was eliminated in the first round by Montana State Billings. The Falcons' only regional championship came in 1998 when they hosted the tournament.

Gyongyver "Gus" Balogh, a 5-11 forward from Hungary, is Seattle Pacific's top scorer, averaging 18.0 points. Balogh made a career-high six 3-pointers in the playoff loss to Billings last season, and is one of three holdovers from the 1998 Elite Eight squad.

Seattle Pacific won 12 of its last 13 games this season to earn a postseason berth for the sixth time in seven years.

Four of the six teams in the regional hail from the PacWest Conference.

Western Washington won last year's regional, defeating Cal Poly Pomona in the title game. The Vikings split their season series with the Falcons while Central Washington managed a sweep of the two conference games.

The West champion will play the Northeast Region representative in the Elite Eight, scheduled for Mar. 21-24 in Rochester, Minnesota.