Tourney Central 3/10/2010 (Day 9)

Three champions were crowned on Tuesday night. Please give it up for: Butler of the Horizon League, which crushed Wright State in that league's title game; the Sun Belt's North Texas, which has now split the last four championships with Western Kentucky; and Oakland, long-suffering G'Grizzlies of the Badlands Conference. We salute you all!
The MEAC first round played out in Winston-Salem with a minor upset (No. 9 N.C A&T over No. 8 Howard), but the Atlantic 12 provided a true shock. Charlotte, a real contender for an NCAA at-large back in January, completed its collapse by losing as a No. 5 seed to No. 12 UMass.
Higher seeds were 7-4 on Tuesday.
The Big Sky's semifinals produced a Wednesday pairing of top seed Weber State and Montana, a No. 4 that upset the second-seeded BEAR BEDLAM of Northern Colorado. Also on the SNL schedule for this evening is the Northeast championship: Robert Morris at Quinnipiac.
But that's not all! Four tourneys swing into action tonight: the Big West first round at Anaheim, the Southland quarterfinals at Katy, Texas, the SWAC quarters at Shreveport, La. (two of them), and the inaugural Great West opening round.
The MEAC continues with three quarterfinals. Also today in W-S, it's High School Day. There will be a College Fair in the morning and an unrelated Meet and Greet Mixer tonight, for MEAC alumni who have already been to college. The seasons of our lives.
And with that, each of Hoops Nation's tourneys are either under way or completed. There are 16 elimination games tonight.

Brackets

Sun Belt

[2] North Texas 66, [1] Troy 63
Star of the Game: George Odufuwa 11 Pts (4-7 FG, 3-3 FT), 17 Reb

North Texas Wins SBC Title And Is Headed Back To The NCAA Tourney - The smallest man on the floor came up bigger than everyone and North Texas is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the last four seasons. Josh White scored with 22 seconds left and hit a free throw with 2.9 seconds remaining in the game to lift North Texas (24-8) to a 66-63 win over the Troy Trojans (20-12) in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game. Eric Tramiel was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Tournament after his second double-double of the tournament as he poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win. George Odufuwa, who grabbed 17 rebounds to go along with 11 points, was also named to the All-Tournament team. (via North Texas)

Horizon League

at [1] Butler 70, [2] Wright State 45
Star of the Game: Matt Howard 14 Pts (6-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 9 Reb

Bulldogs Capture Horizon League Tournament Crown - Junior Matt Howard and sophomore Shelvin Mack each scored 14 points and top-seeded Butler unleashed a smothering defense to dispatch #2 Wright State, 70-45, in the title game of the 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday (Mar. 9). The win extended Butler's nation-leading winning streak to 20 in a row. (via Butler)

Badlands Conference

[1] Oakland 76, [2] IUPUI 64
Star of the Game: Derick Nelson 36 Pts (15-23 FG, 3-5 FT), 9 Reb, 2 Stl

Nelson Carries Oakland To Badlands Title, NCAA Berth - Derick Nelson scored a career-high 36 points and slow-starting Oakland, Mich., defeated IUPUI 76-64 in the Badlands Conference championship game to advance to the NCAA tournament Tuesday night. The Grizzlies earned their second NCAA berth with their school-record 11th consecutive win. Their only other NCAA appearance was in 2005. Playing with a broken nose he suffered in Oakland's first-round win over UMKC, Nelson provided a spark after top-seeded Oakland missed its first eight shots against the No. 2 Jaguars. Nelson turned a steal into a layup for Oakland's first field goal five minutes into the game and then scored 11 straight points for his team. (via Oakland)

Big Sky

[4] Montana 68, [2] Northern Colorado 63
Star of the Game: Anthony Johnson 19 Pts (5-12 FG, 7-8 FT), 3 Stl

Griz top Northern Colorado, on to title game - Will Cherry hit a floater with at 24 seconds to play and Anthony Johnson got a steal and drew a foul with 11 seconds to play to help Montana seal a 68-63 semifinal victory over Northern Colorado and punch its ticket into the Big Sky Conference title game. The game was a series of streaks for both teams. Montana had a 14-point lead with 8 minutes to play but the Bears fought back to take a 63-62 lead with 1:47 remaining. The Griz then scored six straight points to close out the victory. Johnson led the Grizzlies with 19 points, while Cherry and Ryan Staudacher both scored ten. Will Figures paced Northern Colorado with 23 points to lead all scorers. Sophomore Mike Proctor came off the bench to score ten, the only other Bear in double figures. (via Montana)

at [1] Weber State 69, [6] Portland State 60
Star of the Game: Damian Lillard 23 Pts (6-16 FG, 8-9 FT)

Damian Lillard's 23 Points Leads Weber State to a 69-60 Win Over Portland State In The Semifinal Game of the 2010 America First Credit Union / Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament - Weber State overcame a horrendous shooting night from the field by rebounding, defending and making some timely free throws, to post a 69-60 win over the #6 seed, Portland State University, in the second semifinal game of the 2010 America First Credit Union / Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament in Ogden, Utah. The Wildcats made just 20-60 shots from the floor (.333) and 7-26 (.269) from the three-point line, but out rebounded the Vikings 48-32, which included a 17-5 margin in offensive rebounds. WSU's defense held PSU to 24-53 (.453) from the floor but the Vikings were just 6-17 (.353) from the free throw line while the Wildcats made 22-31 (.710). (via Weber State)

Atlantic 8

at [8] Saint Bonaventure 83, [9] Duquesne 71
Star of the Game: Chris Matthews 28 Pts (8-11 FG, 6-6 FT), 2 Stl

Dukes Fall to St. Bonaventure in First Round of Atlantic 14 Championship - Senior Chris Matthews equaled a career-high with 28 points and sophomore Andrew Nicholson turned in his third straight 20-point outing to lead St. Bonaventure to a 83-71 win over Duquesne Tuesday night in the first round of the Atlantic 14 Championship at the Reilly Center. The win is the fifth in six games for the Bonnies, who improve to 15-15 on the season. The Brown and White's A-14 postseason win is their first since 2002, when they also defeated Duquesne in the first round. St. Bonaventure advances to Friday's quarterfinal round of the A-14 Championship in Atlantic City and will take on top-seeded and two-time defending tournament champion Temple. Gametime at Boardwalk Hall is set for noon. (via Saint Bonaventure)

at [7] Dayton 70, [10] George Washington 60
Star of the Game: Rob Lowery 11 Pts (3-4 FG, 2-2 FT)

Flyers Advance To A-14 Quarterfinals In 70-60 Win Over Gw - Marcus Johnson scored 16 points and Dayton used a late 15-2 run to defeat George Washington 70-60 Tuesday night in the First Round of the Atlantic 14 Conference Men's Basketball Championship. Dayton (20-11) led 44-33 in the second half, but the Colonials (16-14) chipped away at the lead and tied the game at 55 on Damian Hollis' jumper with 5:58 left. The Flyers responded by going 8-for-10 from the line, fueling the spurt that included 6-0 and 9-0 runs to close the game. Kurt Huelsman was 6-for-8 at the line in the final seven minutes. Chris Johnson and Rob Lowery added 11 points apiece for Dayton. Paul Williams was the fourth Flyer in double digits with 10. Lowery also had four assists against zero turnovers, while Marcus Johnson had three assists with zero turnovers and also went six-for-six from the line. Williams was seven-for-eight at the charity stripe. (via Dayton)

[11] Massachusetts 59, at [6] Charlotte 56
Star of the Game: Ricky Harris 24 Pts (5-13 FG, 11-12 FT)

UMass Moves On To A-14 Quarters With 59-56 Win - UMass won an Atlantic 14 Tournament game for the first time since 2002 with a 59-56 triumph over Charlotte on Tuesday night at Halton Arena. The 11th-seeded Minutemen (12-19) were led by a game-high 24 points from senior Ricky Harris to top the 6th-seeded 49ers in a back and forth game that featured nine lead changes and 10 ties. UMass advances to Atlantic City and A-14 Quarterfinals to face No. 3 seed Richmond on Friday night at 9 p.m.> (via Massachusetts)

at [5] Rhode Island 87, [12] Saint Joseph's 76
Star of the Game: Keith Cothran 15 Pts (4-8 FG, 5-6 FT)

Rhody Defeats Saint Joseph's 87-76 in the A-14 Tournament The Rhode Island men's basketball team (22-8) defeated Saint Joseph's 87-76 Tuesday night at the Ryan Center to advance to the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 14 Tournament. Rhody's win at the Ryan Center marked its 13 victory at home this season, which marked a single-season record. Seniors Keith Cothran and Lamonte Ulmer scored 15 points apiece. Ulmer also pulled down six rebounds and had two blocked shots. During the game, Ulmer recorded his 1,000th career point and 100th career block. Ulmer becomes just the second player in school history to record 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 100 steals and 100 blocks. Antonio Reynolds-Dean ('99) is the other. (via Rhode Island)

MEAC

[7] Bethune-Cookman 64, [10] Florida A&M 53
Star of the Game: Clifford J. Reed 23 Pts (6-17 FG, 11-12 FT), 2 Stl

Rival Game Win, B-CU Advances In MEAC Tournament With 64-53 Win Over FAMU - Bethune-Cookman forced 17 FAMU turnovers and scored 18 points off turnovers to beat the Rattlers 64-53 in the opening round of the MEAC Tournament Tuesday night. B-CU (17-15) secures its second straight winning season (the only two ever in Division I play) with the win and sets up a Wednesday night matchup with MEAC nemesis Delaware State. DSU has beat the Wildcats twice this year, both by 17 points. The win Tuesday night avenged the 69-64 loss at FAMU last Thursday in Tallahassee to close the regular season. (via Bethune-Cookman)

[9] North Carolina A&T 65, [8] Howard 55
Star of the Game: Nic Simpson 21 Pts (6-10 FG, 7-8 FT), 2 Stl

Aggies Advance With FT Shooting - The Aggies went to the free throw line 39 times. They went a combined 31 times in the previous two meetings. That coupled with strong bench play from sophomore Nic Simpson and redshirt senior James Porter led the Aggies to a 65-55 win over the Bison in a play-in round game at the 2010 MEAC Tournament played at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday. The win puts the Aggies in the quarterfinal round against top-seed Morgan State Wednesday night at 7. N.C. A&T also avoided its first three-game sweep by Howard in more than 30 years. Simpson led the Aggies with 21 points off the bench. Porter added 12 points and six rebounds in a reserve role. (via North Carolina A&T)

On Tap Tonight

Northeast

[2] Robert Morris at [1] Quinnipiac - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

RMU - 22-11 (15-3) [RPI: 146 State: 172] SOS: 269 Last 10: 7-3 Form: L W L W W PF/PA: 69.0/66.2
QUIN - 23-8 (15-3) [RPI: 131 State: 153] SOS: 332 Last 10: 9-1 Form: W W W W W PF/PA: 74.3/66.5
Recent meetings: 02/20/2010 QUIN 87 @RMU 79 03/08/2009 QUIN 48 @RMU 75

Players to watch:
RMU - #4 Karon Abraham Fr. G (13.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.6 apg)
QUIN - #12 Justin Rutty Jr. F (15.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)

Men's Basketball Plays Host To Robert Morris In NEC Championship Game Wednesday - The top-seeded Quinnipiac University men's basketball team plays host to second-seeded Robert Morris in Wednesday's NEC Tournament Championship, to be broadcast live nationally at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. The Bobcats are coming off a tough-fought 83-78 victory over Long Island, while the Colonials defeated No. 3 Mount St. Mary's, 80-62. The Colonials lead the all-time series against the Bobcats, 8-14, but the Bobcats took the only meeting between the two teams this season, 87-79, Feb. 20 in suburban Pittsburgh. The Bobcats have played just once in the NEC Championship, falling to CCSU in 2002. Robert Morris is led by freshman guard Karon Abraham, whose 13.3 points per game are a team-high. Six other active RMU players average between 5.8 and 10.1 points per game, including Rob Robinson's 10.1 points and team-high 5.4 rebounds per game. Velton Jones' 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game lead RMU. Guard Mezie Nwigwe was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year. James Johnson scored a career-high 28 points, while Justin Rutty compiled a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds as the Bobcats defeated RMU, 87-79, Feb. 20 in Moon Township, Pa. Rob Robinson had 16 points for RMU. (via Quinnipiac)

Big Sky

[4] Montana at [1] Weber State - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

UMT - 21-9 (10-6) [RPI: 124 State: 86] SOS: 237 Last 10: 8-2 Form: L W L W W PF/PA: 70.3/61.0
WEB - 20-9 (13-3) [RPI: 77 State: 76] SOS: 149 Last 10: 8-2 Form: W W W L W PF/PA: 77.0/71.0
Recent meetings: 02/05/2010 WEB 61 @UMT 75 01/02/2010 UMT 56 @WEB 64

Players to watch:
UMT - #23 Anthony Johnson Sr. G (18.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg)
WEB - #1 Damian Lillard So. G (19.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg)

Big West

[5] Cal State Fullerton vs. [8] Cal State Northridge - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

CSF - 15-14 (8-8) [RPI: 203 State: 193] SOS: 221 Last 10: 6-4 Form: L W W L L PF/PA: 74.3/73.1
CSN - 11-20 (6-10) [RPI: 245 State: 241] SOS: 190 Last 10: 3-7 Form: L L L W L PF/PA: 71.2/75.1
Recent meetings: 02/13/2010 CSF 113 @CSN 112 01/16/2010 CSN 78 @CSF 72

Players to watch:
CSF - #0 Aaron Thompson Sr. G (11.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)
CSN - #20 Kenny Daniels Sr. G (14.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.9 apg)

Cal State Northridge Plays Cal State Fullerton At Big West Tournament - f Cal State Northridge is going to the NCAA?Tournament for a second straight season, the task won't be easy ... The Matadors, seeded eighth in the Big West Tournament, will have to win four games in four nights to accomplish their goal ... The journey starts on Wednesday, March 10, at 6:00 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center when the Matadors face fifth-seeded Cal State Fullerton (15-14 overall, 8-8 BWC) ... If CSUN wins on Wednesday, the Matadors will advance to Thursday's quarterfinals against third-seeded Long Beach State at 6:00 p.m. ... The semfinals are slated for Friday (3/12/10) at 6:30 p.m. ... If the Matadors are able to get past Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State, the Matadors would face top-seeded and Big West regular season co-champion UC?Santa Barbara at 6:30 p.m. in a game to be televised on ESPNU ... If CSUN beats Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State and UCSB, then the Matadors will advance to the championship game on Saturday (3/13/10) at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN2. (via Cal State Northridge)

[7] California-Irvine vs. [6] Cal Poly - 11:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

UCI - 14-17 (6-10) [RPI: 267 State: 232] SOS: 292 Last 10: 5-5 Form: L W W L W PF/PA: 67.5/69.6
POLY - 11-18 (7-9) [RPI: 259 State: 236] SOS: 277 Last 10: 3-7 Form: L W L W L PF/PA: 70.1/75.4
Recent meetings: 03/06/2010 UCI 91 @POLY 84 01/04/2010 POLY 95 @UCI 81

Players to watch:
UCI - #34 Eric Wise So. F (16.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.1 apg)
POLY - #44 Will Donahue So. F (10.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 0.9 apg)

UC Irvine Opens Against Cal Poly at Big West Tournament - UC Irvine and Cal Poly face each other for the second time in four days Wednesday night in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center. The No. 7 seed 'Eaters had an epic rally Saturday night to defeat the sixth-seeded Mustangs, 91-84, in overtime at San Luis Obispo in the regular-season finale. UCI was down 70-62 with 48 seconds left in regulation before hitting four threes, including two by Darren Moore in the last nine seconds, to send the game into overtime. The 'Eaters outscored Cal Poly, 17-10, in the extra session as Patrick Rembert scored seven points and Moore six. (via California-Irvine)

Great West

[5] Texas-Pan American at [4] Utah Valley - 4:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

UTPA - 5-26 (4-8) [RPI: 337 State: 335] SOS: 318 Last 10: 2-8 Form: W L L L W PF/PA: 61.0/72.7
UVU - 12-17 (5-7) [RPI: 340 State: 289] SOS: 347 Last 10: 3-7 Form: L L L W L PF/PA: 63.9/65.4
Recent meetings: 02/13/2010 UVU 61 @UTPA 74 02/04/2010 UTPA 53 @UVU 67

Players to watch:
UTPA - #11 Jared Maree Fr. G (9.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)
UVU - #14 Jordan Swarbrick Sr. F (12.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Broncs set to compete in inaugural GWC Tournament - The University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) men's basketball team (5-26, 4-8 GWC) travels to Orem, Utah this week to compete in the inaugural Great West Conference (GWC) Basketball Championship March 10-13 at the McKay Center on the campus of Utah Valley University. The Broncs are the No. 5 seed and will face the No. 4 Utah Valley University (UVU) Wolverines on their home court in the first round of the tournament Wednesday, March 10 at 3:30 p.m. (CT). UTPA and UVU split the season with each team winning on its home court, but the Wolverines lead the all-time series 7-1. The Broncs head into the tournament coming off of a 71-68 win at the University of North Dakota last weekend, while the Wolverines fell to Seattle University 74-64 in their final match. (via Texas-Pan American)

[7] Chicago State vs. [2] Houston Baptist - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

CST - 9-22 (4-8) [RPI: 344 State: 330] SOS: 346 Last 10: 4-6 Form: L W L L W PF/PA: 62.4/71.2
HBU - 10-20 (9-3) [RPI: 331 State: 309] SOS: 344 Last 10: 6-4 Form: W W W W L PF/PA: 70.2/79.1
Recent meetings: 02/04/2010 HBU 85 @CST 83 01/14/2010 CST 56 @HBU 66

Players to watch:
CST - #21 Carl Montgomery Jr. F (12.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.0 apg)
HBU - #45 Mario Flaherty Sr. F (13.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)

Men's Basketball Faces Houston Baptist in Great West Tournament Quarterfinals - The Chicago State men's basketball has learned that it will kick off this week's inaugural Great West Conference Tournament in Orem, Utah as the seventh seed with a quarterfinal contest Wednesday evening against second-seeded Houston Baptist, the conference announced Sunday night. The Cougars and the Huskies will tip-off at 6 p.m., central time, from the UVU Events Center. HBU posted a season sweep of CSU during the regular season with a 66-56 win in Houston on Jan. 14 and a thrilling 85-83 overtime contest on Feb. 4 in Chicago. (via Chicago State)

[6] New Jersey Tech vs. [3] North Dakota - 9:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

NJIT - 9-20 (4-8) [RPI: 341 State: 328] SOS: 340 Last 10: 3-7 Form: L W L L L PF/PA: 61.1/66.9
NDAK - 8-22 (5-7) [RPI: 338 State: 336] SOS: 336 Last 10: 4-6 Form: W L L L L PF/PA: 62.8/71.8
Recent meetings: 02/28/2010 NDAK 73 @NJIT 91 02/23/2010 NJIT 78 @NDAK 90

Players to watch:
NJIT - #1 Chris Flores Fr. G (13.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.3 apg)
NDAK - #13 Travis Bledsoe Sr. G (15.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Sioux draw NJIT in opening round of Great West Tournament - The University of North Dakota men's basketball team will be the No. 3 seed at the inaugural Great West Tournament this week and open the four-day event with No. 6 seed New Jersey Institute of Technology on Wednesday evening. The Sioux (8-22, 5-7 GWC) and Highlanders (9-20, 4-8 GWC) split their regular season matchups with each team each securing a win on their home court. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. CT at the McKay Events Center on the campus of Utah Valley (Orem, Utah). The contest will be the third and final of the quarterfinal round, which will also feature No. 4 seed and host Utah Valley (12-17, 5-7 GWC) playing Texas-Pan American (5-26, 4-8 GWC) at 3:30 p.m. and No. 2 seed Houston Baptist (10-20, 9-3 GWC) taking on No. 7 seed Chicago State (9-22, 4-8 GWC) at 6 p.m. CT. (via North Dakota)

MEAC

[11] Coppin State vs. [6] Maryland-Eastern Shore - 3:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

COPP - 8-21 (3-15) [RPI: 336 State: 323] SOS: 323 Last 10: 3-7 Form: L L W L L PF/PA: 61.2/67.8
UMES - 10-20 (8-9) [RPI: 307 State: 311] SOS: 321 Last 10: 4-6 Form: W W L W L PF/PA: 60.9/70.0
Recent meetings: 02/20/2010 COPP 52 @UMES 66 01/23/2010 UMES 70 @COPP 62

Players to watch:
COPP - #11 Vince Goldsberry Jr. G (8.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.2 apg)
UMES - #11 Tim Burns Jr. G (11.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.9 apg)

UMES Men Enter Tournament As No. 6 Seed - The men, predicted 11th to start the year, surprised the league with an 8-8 finish, their best since 2000-01 when they were 10-2 and were also 6th. UMES could have finished as high as fourth place with a win last night at Delaware State. Nonetheless, the Fighting Hawks take on the 11th seeded Eagles of Coppin State, a team UMES swept this season for the first time since 2001-02. UMES most recently topped CSU on Homecoming in a 66-52 decision. They will meet again on Wednesday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. (via Maryland-Eastern Shore)

[9] North Carolina A&T vs. [1] Morgan State - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

NCAT - 11-21 (6-12) [RPI: 310 State: 305] SOS: 282 Last 10: 4-6 Form: L L L L W PF/PA: 68.2/71.6
MORG - 24-9 (17-1) [RPI: 106 State: 116] SOS: 291 Last 10: 8-2 Form: L W W W W PF/PA: 76.9/71.0
Recent meetings: 03/01/2010 NCAT 67 @MORG 81 02/01/2010 MORG 74 @NCAT 65

Players to watch:
NCAT - #23 Thomas Coleman Jr. F (9.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.3 apg)
MORG - #33 Kevin Thompson So. F (12.6 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 1.8 apg)

[7] Bethune-Cookman vs. [2] Delaware State - 9:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

BETH - 17-15 (9-9) [RPI: 260 State: 264] SOS: 329 Last 10: 4-6 Form: W L W L W PF/PA: 61.4/60.6
DEST - 16-11 (12-5) [RPI: 223 State: 216] SOS: 307 Last 10: 7-3 Form: W L W L W PF/PA: 58.3/58.0
Recent meetings: 02/13/2010 BETH 50 @DEST 67 01/16/2010 DEST 77 @BETH 60

Players to watch:
BETH - #32 Alexander Starling Jr. F (9.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.1 apg)
DEST - #55 Frisco Sandidge Sr. F (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.5 apg)

Hornets To Begin Meac Tournament Play On March 10 - The Delaware State men's basketball team will play its MEAC Tournament opener next Wednesday evening in Winston-Salem, N.C. The second-seeded Hornets will take on the winner of the No. 7 Bethune-Cookman/No. 10 Florida A&M first round game in a quarterfinal contest on March 10 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tip-off is 9:30 p.m. Delaware State swept four meetings against Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M this regular season. The Hornets defeated the Wildcats 77-60 in Daytona Beach, Fla., and 67-50 at home. DSU topped the Rattlers 64-57 at Florida A&M, and completed the sweep with a 66-63 victory in Dover. If the Hornets win the quarterfinal contest, they'll compete in the semifinals on Friday, Mar. 12 at 8:00 p.m. (via Delaware State)

Southland

[7] Texas-Arlington vs. [2] Stephen F. Austin - 1:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

UTA - 16-13 (8-8) [RPI: 234 State: 218] SOS: 280 Last 10: 6-4 Form: W W L L L PF/PA: 74.6/73.4
SFA - 22-8 (11-5) [RPI: 161 State: 133] SOS: 316 Last 10: 7-3 Form: L W W W L PF/PA: 66.8/59.5
Recent meetings: 01/20/2010 UTA 65 @SFA 72 01/21/2009 SFA 52 @UTA 67

Players to watch:
UTA - #0 Marquez Haynes Sr. G (22.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.8 apg)
SFA - #12 Eddie Williams Jr. G (13.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.8 apg)

GAME NOTES: vs. UT Arlington (Southland Tournament First Round) - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack basketball team will begin the quest for its second straight Southland Conference Tournament title Wednesday with a first-round game against UT Arlington. SFA comes into the tournament as the No. 2 seed after posting a 21-8 record on the season and an 11-5 mark in Southland play. No. 7 UT Arlington went 16-13 overall and 8-8 in league action. SFA dropped its first home conference game since 2008 with a 65-63 defeat against UTSA in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The contest featured 14 lead changes and 10 ties. The Lumberjacks led, 60-57, with 4:29 to play after a Walt Harris jumper. But UTSA got offensive rebounds and tip-ins by Demarco Stepter on consecutive possessions to take a one-point lead, then broke a 63-63 tie on a jumper by Terry Fields with 59 seconds left. Harris' 3-point attempt at the buzzer was no good. He finished with 11 points, as did Eddie Williams. Jereal Scott finished one point shy of tying his career-high with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Jordan Glynn posted his 11th double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds. SFA shot 50.9 percent from the floor, marking the Lumberjacks' best shooting effort in a loss this season. UT Arlington put together a strong mid-season run to reach the Southland Tournament despite a three-game skid to finish the year. Following consecutive losses to SFA and Sam Houston State in January, the Mavs won five straight and eight of their next nine games to make the tournament field. Leading scorer Marquez Haynes (22.8 ppg) was named the Southland Player of the Year. (via Stephen F. Austin)

[6] Texas-San Antonio vs. [3] Texas A&M-Corpus Christi - 3:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

UTSA - 19-10 (9-7) [RPI: 178 State: 152] SOS: 290 Last 10: 7-3 Form: W W W L W PF/PA: 70.9/65.6
TAMC - 16-14 (10-6) [RPI: 176 State: 170] SOS: 193 Last 10: 5-5 Form: L W L W W PF/PA: 68.4/66.4
Recent meetings: 02/17/2010 UTSA 57 @TAMC 56 01/23/2010 TAMC 66 @UTSA 62

Players to watch:
UTSA - #21 Devin Gibson Jr. G (12.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.5 apg)
TAMC - #21 Demond Watt Jr. F (12.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Islanders To Face Utsa In First Round Of The Southland Conference Tournament - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team heads to the State Farm Southland Conference Tournament Wednesday for the third time in four seasons and will face UTSA at 2:30 p.m. in the Merrell Center in Katy. The Islanders enter the tournament as the No. 3-seed after finishing the season with a 10-6 mark in the Southland and 16-14 overall. UTSA is 19-10 on the season and 9-7 in the Southland Conference. The winner of Wednesday's game will take on the winner of Stephen F. Austin and UT Arlington on Thursday at 6 p.m. A&M-Corpus Christi and UTSA will be meeting in the rubber match of their season series as each won on the other team's home floor during the regular season. (via Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

[8] Nicholls State vs. [1] Sam Houston State - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

NICH - 11-18 (7-9) [RPI: 280 State: 233] SOS: 250 Last 10: 4-6 Form: W W L W W PF/PA: 65.9/70.8
SAMH - 22-7 (14-2) [RPI: 80 State: 79] SOS: 205 Last 10: 8-2 Form: L W W W L PF/PA: 80.8/70.0
Recent meetings: 02/10/2010 SAMH 75 @NICH 69 02/11/2009 NICH 60 @SAMH 59

Players to watch:
NICH - #31 Anatoly Bose Jr. F (20.4 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
SAMH - #14 Gilberto Clavell Jr. F (16.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.3 apg)

Colonels Look for Upset Against Regular Season Champion Bearkats - The Nicholls State University men's basketball team (11-18, 7-9 Southland Conference) makes consecutive postseason trips for the first time in nine years when the Colonels tipoff against the Sam Houston State Bearkats (22-7, 14-2 Southland) in the first round of the 2010 Southland Conference Tournament on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. in the Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy, Texas. The Colonels, who went to the 2009 tournament as the No. 2 seed, head into Wednesday night with the eighth and final seed in the field. It marks the first time since Nicholls made three straight Southland Tournaments from 1998-99 through 200-01 that the Colonels have qualified for consecutive postseason tournaments. The Colonels will have their hands full with the regular season champion and No. 1 seed Bearkats. Sam Houston State rolled through a majority of the conference season, racking up a 14-2 league record and an 11-game conference winning streak. SHSU owns impressive non-conference wins over Oral Roberts (71-64 on Nov. 24), Rider (80-68 on Nov. 25) and Auburn (107-89 on Dec. 20). The Bearkats also nearly pulled off one of the year's biggest upset with a 102-92 loss at Kentucky on Nov. 19. (via Nicholls State)

[5] Texas State vs. [4] Southeastern Louisiana - 9:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

TXST - 15-15 (9-7) [RPI: 232 State: 203] SOS: 258 Last 10: 5-5 Form: L L W W W PF/PA: 77.1/77.8
SELU - 18-11 (10-6) [RPI: 198 State: 171] SOS: 301 Last 10: 7-3 Form: W L W W W PF/PA: 72.1/65.8
Recent meetings: 02/03/2010 TXST 66 @SELU 75 02/04/2009 SELU 82 @TXST 84

Players to watch:
TXST - #23 Cameron Johnson Jr. F (14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.1 apg)
SELU - #4 Patrick Sullivan Sr. F (15.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Fourth-seeded Lions Face Texas State In Southland Conference Tournament - Southeastern Louisiana University makes its seventh consecutive appearance in the State Farm Southland Conference Tournament when it faces Texas State in a quarterfinal matchup at the Merrell Center. Southeastern (18-11, 10-6 SLC), the No. 4 seed in the eight-team field, won four of its final five contests to finish one game behind SLC East Division champion and second-seeded Stephen F. Austin. The Lions closed out the season with three consecutive victories beginning with a 65-60 overtime decision at Central Arkansas, a 60-59 thriller against McNeese State and a come-from-behind 86-77 win over visiting Northwestern State.Texas State (15-15), making its second straight appearance in the postseason, closed out the regular-season with three straight wins - two of them on the road - in earning its 16th career appearance in the postseason. The Bobcats opened their current streak with an 89-75 win at Northwestern State before defeating arch-rival UTSA (83-76) and Sam Houston State (101-97 in overtime). Texas State possesses the league's second-highest scoring team (77.1) and is second in 3-pointers made per game (6.8). (via Southeastern Louisiana)

SWAC

[7] Mississippi Valley State vs. [2] Arkansas-Pine Bluff - 3:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

MVSU - 9-22 (8-10) [RPI: 324 State: 319] SOS: 325 Last 10: 5-5 Form: W L L W L PF/PA: 64.2/72.5
UAPB - 14-15 (14-4) [RPI: 195 State: 215] SOS: 267 Last 10: 8-2 Form: W W W L W PF/PA: 65.4/66.3
Recent meetings: 03/04/2010 MVSU 68 @UAPB 84 01/04/2010 UAPB 69 @MVSU 68

Players to watch:
MVSU - #15 Shannon Behling Sr. F (11.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)
UAPB - #21 Tavaris Washington Sr. F (9.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament Bracket Announced - University Arkansas-Pine Bluff's' #2 seed is its highest since entering the SWAC and will take on #7 Mississippi Valley State. UAPB has won eight of its past nine games entering the tournament. The Golden Lions swept the Delta Devils this season (winning 69-68 in OT on Jan. 4, winning 84-68 Mar. 4). (via Arkansas-Pine Bluff)

[8] Grambling State vs. [1] Jackson State - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

GRAM - 6-20 (4-14) [RPI: 342 State: 334] SOS: 343 Last 10: 2-8 Form: L L L L L PF/PA: 63.9/74.3
JSU - 19-11 (17-1) [RPI: 190 State: 208] SOS: 320 Last 10: 10-0 Form: W W W W W PF/PA: 63.5/64.8
Recent meetings: 02/20/2010 JSU 84 @GRAM 79 01/23/2010 GRAM 59 @JSU 75

Players to watch:
GRAM - #20 Lance Fuertado Jr. F (14.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)
JSU - #33 Garrison Johnson Sr. F (17.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)

Jackson State men earns #1 seed - Jackson State will face Grambling State in the final game Wednesday night. JSU is 19-1 since starting the season 0-10. Jackson State has won 13 straight games and will face a Grambling team it swept this season (75-59 at home on Jan. 23, 84-79 in OT on the road on Feb. 20). (via Jackson State)

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