The University of Maine women’s basketball team will tip off its NCAA tournament first-round game in the Mideast Regional Saturday at 9 p.m. EST, it was announced Monday.

The game against fourth-seeded Texas Tech will be broadcast nationally on ESPN-TV as part of the “Whiparound Coverage” of the tournament.

For the first two rounds, as many as four games will begin within one telecast window. During those windows the networks plan to “whiparound” to the best action from different games. Home markets of the competing teams will see the entire broadcast.

The Black Bears were selected as a 13 seed in the Mideast Regional of the tournament at the University of Montana in Missoula after receiving an automatic bid from Saturday’s America East championship win over Boston University.

Maine is playing the first game at the regional at Montana. Louisiana Tech (27-2) plays tourney host Montana (27-4) 30 minutes after the Maine game ends.

The winners then meet Monday in Montana. The winner of that game then advances to a regional semifinal Sunday, March 28 in Norfolk, Va.

Ticket prices for an all-session pass (three games) at Montana is $20 for adults.

UMaine is tentatively planning a fan charter flight to Missoula. For more information on tickets or travel packages call Meghan Doyle at 581-1828.

Bowdoin opponent announced

The Bowdoin women found out its opponent for the NCAA Division III semifinal Friday. The top-ranked Polar Bears of Brunswick (29-0) will face Wisconsin- Stevens Point at 5 p.m.

Friday’s winner will advance to Saturday’s 2 p.m. championship game. The losers will compete in an 11 a.m. consolation game.

The 28-3 Pointers, who won the 2002 NCAA Division III championship, are making their third trip to the Final Four. They finished in a first-place tie in the regular-season standings of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.