West Texas A&M and Northeastern State both advanced to the
semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional with
opening-round triumphs.
WTAMU topped St. Mary’s 78-50, and NSU edged Central
Oklahoma, 54-52. The RiverHawks face Washburn on Saturday at
5 p.m., while the Lady Buffs play Emporia State at 7:30 p.m.
West Texas A&M 78, St. Mary’s 50
West Texas A&M cruised to a 78-50 win over St. Mary’s
in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional
in Canyon, Texas.
The top-seeded Lady Buffs (30-3) never trailed after Jamie
Simmons made a lay-up just 11 seconds into the game.
WTAMU’s Megan McLain led all scorers with 20 points and
Simmons followed with 14 points and 12 rebounds, her ninth
double-double of the season.
The Lady Buffs shot 52.1 percent from the field, while the
Rattlers (21-8) made just 37.7 of its field goals attempts.
WTAMU scored 31 points off of 22 STMU turnovers and won the
rebounding battle, 41-32.
WTAMU advances to the semifinals and will play Emporia State, a
90-71 winner over Tarleton State, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Link
to complete release courtesy of WTAMU sports information
Emporia State 90, Tarleton State 71
Tarleton State fell to Emporia State, 90-71, in the first round
of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Canyon, Texas.
The Hornets (25-5) ended the TexAnns season with a strong first
half which included a 22-0 run. Turnovers and an eight-minute
scoreless span hurt Tarleton early, as ESU jumped to a 32-8 lead
with 8:02 to go in the first half and entered halftime with a 49-26
advantage.
Tarleton battled back and got within 12 points (57-45) with
15:35 remaining in the game but ESU scored seven straight,
including five by Alli Volkens, to take control of the game.
The TexAnns (23-7) posted the most wins in school history and
made their second-ever trip to the NCAA regional after an
appearance in 2006.
The Hornets will play in the regional semifinals for the 10th
time in 12 postseason appearances against West Texas A&M on
Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Link
to complete release courtesy of Tarleton State sports
information
Northeastern State 54, Central Oklahoma 52
Northeastern State edged Central Oklahoma, 54-52, in the first
round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Canyon,
Texas.
The third meeting of the season between the two Lone Star
Conference North Division rivals was a back-and-forth affair with
nine lead changes.
The RiverHawks (27-6) hit back-to-back three-pointers to grab
the momentum early in the second half. Jessica White and
Megan Fraley each hit 3’s to give NSU a 30-29 lead with 13:35
to go.
The Bronchos regained the lead and built a six-point margin with
seven minutes left in regulation before NSU reclaimed the lead for
good on a Cristy Nitz lay-up with 5:01 left. The RiverHawks
finished the game on a 22-14 run.
Sixth-seeded UCO, in the national tournament for the third
straight year, finished the season 22-8.
No. 3 seed NSU, making its fourth regional appearance and first
since 2005, advances to Saturday’s semifinals at 5 p.m.
against Washburn, who defeated Central Missouri, 72-61.
Link
to complete release courtesy of NSU sports information