Six NCC Teams Make NCAA DII Basketball Championship Field
Three men's and three women's basketball teams from the North Central Conference have been selected to the NCAA Division II Basketball Championships it was announced tonight by the NCAA. The selections are hightlighted by the North Dakota women's team which received a #1 seed and will host the North Central region tournament. None of the six teams will face each other in the first round of either tournament.
On the women's side the NCC claimed the top three seeds in the eight-team regional to be played Friday-Monday at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center in Grand Forks. As mentioned North Dakota is the #1 seed, Augustana is the #2 seed and South Dakota is the #3 seed. The NCC teams are joined by #4 Regis, #5 Metro State and #7 Nebraska-Kearney from Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and #6 Concordia-St. Paul and #8 Minnesota State Moorhead from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
NCC men's teams that qualified are #2 Minnesota State, #4 South Dakota and #8 St. Cloud State. The tournament will be hosted by top-seed Winona State at McCown Gymnasium Saturday-Tuesday. Other teams making the men's regional are: #3 Metro State, #5 Nebraska-Kearney, #6 Adams State and #7 Fort Lewis.
Regional winners from each tournament will advance to the Elite Eight March 21, 22 and 24. The women's tournament will be held in Kearney, Nebraska while the men will convene in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The complete bracket for the tournaments can be found at www.ncaasports.com. Game times and ticket information will be distributed by the host sites, most likely on Monday.
WOMEN at Grand Forks, N.D.
Friday, March 9
#1 North Dakota (29-3) vs. #8 Minn. St., Moorhead (21-9)
#2 Augustana (25-6) vs. #7 Nebraska-Kearney (20-9)
#3 South Dakota (22-8) vs. #6 Concordia-St. Paul (21-9)
#4 Regis (25-5) vs. #5 Metro State (20-9)
Saturday, March 10
#1/#8 winner vs. #4/#5 winner
#2/#7 winner vs. #3/#6 winner
Monday, March 12
Championship Game
MEN at Winona, Minn.
Saturday, March 10
#1 Winona State (30-0) vs. #8 St. Cloud State (19-10)
#2 Minnesota State (26-4) vs. #7 Fort Lewis (22-8)
#3 Metro State (27-3) vs. #6 Adams St. (16-13)
#4 South Dakota (24-6) vs. #5 Nebraska-Kearney (23-6)
Sunday, March 11
#1/#8 winner vs. #4/#5 winner
#2/#7 winner vs. #3/#6 winner
Tuesday, March 12
Championship Game