Three schools from the Show-Me State will be represented in the 2006 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.

Missouri (21-9) will be the 10th seed in the Bridgeport (Conn.) bracket and will face seventh-seeded Virginia Tech (20-9) in their first round game in University Park, Pa. at 6 PM Sunday. The Tigers finished fourth in the Big 12 and made a run to the semifinals of the conference tournament, before losing to Oklahoma. The Tigers are making their ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament. The last time MU was selected was in 2004, when they lost their first-round game to Stanford. This is their third appearance under head coach Cindy Stein, who is in her ninth season at Missouri.

The winner of that game will face either second-seeded UConn or 15th-seeded Coppin St.

Missouri St.(18-17), which earned a spot by winning the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament over the weekend, will be the 13th seed in the Cleveland Bracket, will face fourth-seeded Purdue at 11 AM on Sunday in West Lafayette, Indiana.

This will mark the second meeting between the two—their first game was in the 2001 Final Four. The Boilermakers won that game 81-64 in St. Louis. It was the final game for Jackie Stiles. Purdue (24-6) is ranked 11th in the nation.

This is Missouri St.’s 13th trip to the NCAA Tournament, all since 1991. The winner of their game will face either 5th-seeded UCLA or 12th-seeded Bowling Green.

Southeast Missouri St. (22-8) is in the tournament for the first time and will be the 13th seed in the San Antonio Regional. The Redhawks will face the 13th ranked team in the nation, third-seeded Stanford (23-7). The game will be in Denver on Saturday night at 9:30.

SEMO earned their bid by winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. Stanford, which has advanced to the Elite Eight in each of the last two seasons, is making its 19th consecutive appearance in the tournament. They were the national champs in 1990 and 1992. This is the first meeting between SEMO and Stanford.

The winner will face either 6th-seeded Florida St. or 11th-seeded Louisiana Tech.